Chicken and Tortellini Soup
A comforting Brazilian-style chicken and tortellini soup with slowly simmered homemade broth, shredded chicken, fresh parsley, and Parmesan.
By Thiago Temple Published
Prep
25 min
Cook
3 hr 30 min
Total
3 hr 55 min
Serves
8
Level
Easy
Inspired by the traditional sopa de capeletti, also known as sopa de agnolini, from the Serra Gaúcha in southern Brazil, this version uses tortellini. The broth gets its depth from bone-in chicken and a long, gentle simmer. Removing the meat once it is tender keeps it juicy while the bones continue to enrich the broth.
Ingredients
Tap to check off as you go · 14 items
Amounts as written — this recipe serves 8.
Steps
- 1
Place the chicken in a large stockpot and add 4 L of cold water. Start with chicken and water alone; do not add the aromatics or salt yet.
- 2
Place the stockpot over medium heat and gradually bring the water to a gentle simmer. Skim off any grey foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to low, keeping the lid slightly ajar.
- 3
Simmer gently for approximately 60–90 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked, reaching at least 74°C internally, and the meat is tender. Avoid a rolling boil.
- 4
Remove the chicken pieces from the broth and allow them to cool enough to handle. Separate the meat from the bones, skin, and cartilage. Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and refrigerate it promptly in a covered container until needed.
- 5
Return the bones and cartilage to the stockpot. Continue simmering gently for another 1 1/2–2 1/2 hours in total to extract additional flavour and gelatin. Keep the lid partially on and add a little hot water if the liquid level becomes too low. Add the aromatics during the final 60–90 minutes of this simmer, as described in the next step.
- 6
During the final 60–90 minutes of broth cooking, add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, parsley stems, and whole peppercorns. Continue at a gentle simmer until the broth is ready to strain.
- 7
Remove the stockpot from the heat. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean Dutch oven. Discard the bones, cooked vegetables, and aromatics. Skim excess fat from the surface if desired. The final broth yield will depend on evaporation.
- 8
Taste the strained broth and adjust its concentration first: add a little hot water if it is too concentrated, or simmer uncovered to reduce if it is too mild. Once the concentration is right, season with the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- 9
Bring the strained broth to a gentle boil in the Dutch oven. Add the tortellini and cook according to the package instructions.
- 10
Add the reserved shredded chicken during the final few minutes of cooking. Heat until thoroughly hot, reaching 74°C if reheating chilled chicken.
- 11
Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped fresh parsley. Ladle into bowls and finish with freshly grated Parmesan and black pepper. Serve hot.
Two things that matter
Nutrition values are estimates and depend on the chicken yield, tortellini brand, amount of fat retained in the broth, and Parmesan used.
Chicken thighs and drumsticks provide more connective tissue and flavour than chicken breasts.
Removing the meat after 60–90 minutes helps prevent it from drying out during the extended broth preparation.
Keep the broth at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil for a cleaner flavour and clearer appearance.
For leftovers, cook the tortellini separately and add it to individual servings to prevent the pasta from absorbing too much broth.
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers and consume within 3–4 days, or freeze the broth and chicken separately.
The total cooking time is approximate and includes the long, mostly unattended simmer.
Nutrition
1 serving
Calories
383
Protein
29.3 g
Carbs
31.5 g
Fat
15 g
Fiber
2.3 g
