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This creamy lemon chicken tortellini soup recipe is hearty, bright, and straightforward to make! A kiss of lemon juice and hint of cream is the best way to elevate chicken soup.
You may also enjoy my Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup or this Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken.
Why you’ll love it
The touch of lemon adds brightness and lightens up this cream-based chicken soup, so it’s ideal if someone in your home is under the weather to cheer them up. It has more personality than a traditional chicken noodle soup, but it’s every bit as comforting!
This family-friendly creamy lemon chicken soup has plenty of cheese tortellini, making it nice and filling. It’s also overflowing with fresh vegetables like carrots, celery, and spinach, and I know you’ll enjoy the convenience of using rotisserie chicken in this cozy soup.
What you’ll need
- Butter and olive oil – for sautéing
- Celery, onions, carrots, and garlic – the building blocks for many soups. I like sweet (Vidalia) onions.
- Italian seasoning – it’s a tasty all-purpose blend of dried herbs in one jar
- Flour – to thicken the broth
- Chicken broth – for deeper savory flavor
- Chicken – using rotisserie is simple
- Heavy cream – it’s what upgrades the broth’s texture and taste
- Lemon – freshly squeezed lemon juice takes this soup over the top!
- Cheese tortellini – I use the refrigerated kind
- Spinach and parsley – more fresh goodness
Helpful tips
- It’s important to chop the celery, onions, and carrots quite finely so that they are soft by the end of cooking time.
- To save time, buy a pre-cut mirepoix mix (celery/onions/carrots) from your local grocery store if they happen to carry it.
- As with any recipe that has cream and pasta, be sure to add enough salt to bring out the flavors!
How to make lemon chicken tortellini soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a soup pot, sauté the celery, carrots, and onions in the butter and oil until lightly browned. Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and flour, cooking until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth slowly, and stir until the flour dissolves.
Add the chicken and heavy cream. Bring to a boil, cover with the lid slightly open, then reduce heat. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes, then add in the lemon juice, tortellini, and parsley.
Cook for another few minutes, then add in the spinach. Once it wilts, season the soup generously with salt & pepper to bring out the flavors. Squeeze in more lemon if desired.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use this Dutch oven for many soups, and this ladle is my go-to.
- Quickly mince the garlic with a garlic press. No peeling needed!
- I love this butter dish because it has markings right on it to easily measure out butter.
Substitutions and variations
- Shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi or refrigerated ravioli would work great in place of the tortellini. If using a “dry” pasta, I recommend cooking it separately and adding it in towards the end of cooking time.
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream for something lower fat as it’s likely to curdle due to the lemon. You could try coconut milk, but it may alter the flavor a bit.
- Leave out the chicken if you want this to be a meatless meal.
What to serve with chicken tortellini soup
- I think a slice of sourdough or French baguette would be the perfect pairing! My Cheesy Garlic Bread works too.
- For a salad, try my Parmesan Arugula Salad or this simple Tomato, Avocado, and Cucumber Salad with a quick vinaigrette.
Leftovers and storage
- Store this tortellini soup for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container. Keep in mind the tortellini will absorb the broth as time goes on, so if you plan on not eating most of it right away, simply add it in when reheating.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat until warmed through. Add in some extra broth or cream if needed.
- I don’t recommend freezing creamy soups as the texture is likely to change. If you do try, though, I’d definitely wait until reheating to add in the pasta.
If you made this creamy lemon tortellini soup, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your S&L creations.
Creamy Lemon Chicken Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 sticks celery chopped finely
- 2 medium carrots peeled & chopped finely
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked/rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream see note
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or more, to taste
- 2 generous cups refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven/soup pot over medium-high heat, then add in the celery, carrots, and onions, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. They should lightly brown. If they're browning too fast, turn the heat down a bit.
- Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and flour, and cook for about a minute.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth and stir until the flour has dissolved.
- Add in the chicken and cream. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Cover the pot with the lid slightly open, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice, tortellini, and parsley, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add in the spinach and let it wilt for a minute or two, then season the soup generously with salt & pepper. If you want the soup to be more lemony, squeeze in some more lemon juice as needed.
Notes
- This soup feeds 4-6 depending on portion size.
- I do NOT recommend subbing the cream for something lower fat as the acidity from the lemon juice and high heat the soup is cooked at is likely to curdle it. Whipping cream or heavy cream that’s at least 33% fat is recommended for this recipe. You could try subbing coconut milk if needed, but that may impact flavor.
- If you’re planning on having lots of leftovers or freezing this soup, add the tortellini in when reheating individual portions vs. all at once as it does soak up the broth and get puffy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I’ve made this a few times now and it’s become one of our favorite dishes! Filling, tasting, and really not expensive at all. It’s also pretty quick: I put my chicken thighs in the oven and bake them for 30 minutes, and by the time they’re done, I’ve gotten all the other prep (chopping veggies, measuring ingredients) out of the way and have my celery and onions browning. The ways I’ve deviated from the recipe:
I don’t like cooked spinach and my husband doesn’t like cooked carrots, so we omit those.
The last time I made this, I accidentally added too much tortellini so it wasn’t as much of a soup as a pasta dish – which was also really good.
I found it hard to mix the flour with the veggies, so I mix it with about half the chicken broth to dissolve it first before adding it. I’m not sure if I’m altering the chemistry or anything by doing this, but I haven’t noticed any change.
Last comment, if you’re considering skipping the parsley – don’t. It really completes the dish. All in all this is AMAZING!
I’m so happy it’s a favorite, Rose! Appreciate your thorough review! 😀
Love this soup. I’ve made it twice now
Yay!! Thanks, Allie!
I made this for a friend who is having chemotherapy treatment…so I needed a meal that could be tolerated by a sensitive stomach as well as satisfy 3 other family members two of which are older teens. This was a hit…her husband texted me the next day saying this is the best soup she has ever had and she actually wanted a bowl….huge considering she hasn’t wanted to eat. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that, Sarah!! Wishing your friend a speedy recovery.
This soup was really easy to make, looks just like the photos when done, and tastes delicious!
Fantastic to hear, Katie! Thanks so much for your 5-star review! 🙂
So yummy and comforting! I added extra lemon juice but it still didn’t have quite enough lemon for me, so next time I might add some zest as well. Another keeper!
Yes – zest is a good idea! Glad you liked it!
This is delicious. I added more lemon. I also added cooked broccoli as I am trying to get in as many greens as I can. My husband loved it. Will definitely make again. This is a keeper.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Jeanine!! 😀 Thanks for your review!