Chicken Tortellini Soup with Kale and Pesto
This chicken tortellini soup is the perfect transition into cooler weather. It’s easy to make and perfect for busy weeknights. The kale and pesto ensure loads of flavor and nutrition!
Have you all been busy harvesting your basil and making lots of pesto? If you don’t like the strong taste of garlic in pesto, try out my mild pesto recipe. I also add spinach to the basil leaves to stretch the pesto a little further. I think a little spinach is always a good thing!
And remember that pesto freezes really well, so don’t let that basil go to waste! Make your pesto and get it in the freezer. I measure out a couple of tablespoons of pesto (approximately) and put it in snack size zip top bags. Then I put all the little bags into a freezer container or bag.
My frozen pesto will taste so wonderful come February when we’re all desperately craving summer. Those frozen pesto gems can be dropped into soups and sauces, still frozen, or they thaw really quickly when you want to use them for spreads and so on.
I love fall. LOVE love it. It’s my favorite season. I just hate what comes after it in Michigan. Approximately 390 months of winter.
The first snow comes. It’s magical, it’s beautiful. I want to cozy up with coffee and watch the snow fall. And then I shovel. It’s great exercise. Invigorating! I love to see what progress I’m making as I stack up the snow.
And then second snow comes. And then the 23902350925309th snow comes and there I am shoveling again. Grey, wet, icky snow. I can’t wait.
You’ll love this chicken tortellini soup with kale and pesto because the pesto will remind you of summer, even in the grey, icky, wet parts of winter.
This chicken tortellini soup with kale and pesto is quick and easy to make. If you have precooked chicken breasts, or rotisserie chicken, it will be even easier.
Soup’s on!
These soup recipes warm the soul and will help you get ready for that wintry blast.
Chicken Tortellini Soup with Kale and Pesto
This chicken tortellini soup is the perfect transition into cooler weather. It’s easy to make and perfect for busy weeknights. The kale and pesto ensure loads of flavor and nutrition!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (less if you use salted broth)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 – 3/4 cup)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 cups tightly packed baby kale
- 4 cups chicken broth or stock (I use unsalted)
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups dried cheese tortellini
- 3 tablespoons pesto
Instructions
- In a very large pan over medium-high heat, add oil. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned on all sides.
- Reduce heat to medium and add onion and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add kale and cook until wilted, 2-3 minutes.
- Add broth and water and increase heat to high – bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook at a medium boil for as long as directed on package.
- Remove from heat, stir in pesto, and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 345Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 1594mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 16g
RachelCooks.com sometimes provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietitian. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice.
Husband’s take: He loves this soup even more than I do.
Changes I would make: None are necessary! If you don’t have kale, this would be great with spinach too.
Difficulty: Easy!
4 Comments on “Chicken Tortellini Soup with Kale and Pesto”
I don’t like to think too far ahead because then I will get sad about fall ending. I’m just gonna eat plenty of soup like this recipe and stare at the changing leaves as long as I can.
yum, you had me at tortellini
I feel the same way about fall, I love all the flavors but am not looking forward to the icky snow afterwards. This soup sounds perfect for these in between months. Looks fantastic and I love the pesto in here!
Confession: I am the worst food blogger and I don’t have a garden. I just buy my basil.
I KNOW. The horror!
BUT, I will buy my basil and make ALL the pesto just to have this soup. I have never had pesto with soup, but now I NEED that! Pinned!