Flavor packed tortellini soup made with chicken, spinach and zingy lemon. This hearty soup is super fast to make and tastes incredible. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Just because you want to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice big, homemade flavors!
This fast-fix soup leans on smart store-bought shortcuts (here’s looking at your, rotisserie chicken and frozen tortellini!) and a generous amount of garlic, lemon, and herbs to build bold, robust flavor in mere minutes.
A sprinkle of extra Parm, plus some fresh basil, and you’re all set for a delicious supper!
How to Add Maximum Flavor to Soups
To make this soup extra flavorful I have a secret ingredient that works well with all soups and stews, a parmesan rind!
Yep, don’t throw away your parmesan rinds, ever, it adds so much flavor to meals. Just remember to discard it before serving!
The Best Tortellini to Use
I love to use cheese tortellini in this soup but really you can use any tortellini you like.
Just make sure not to boil them so they keep their shape, frozen works best!
How to Make Tortellini Soup
Saute the onion, garlic and spices in a little olive oil.
Add the wine and scrape any brown bits.
Add the tomatoes, stock, chicken, parmesan rind, lemon and herbs.
Simmer then stir in the tortellini and spinach.
Variations to Try
If you want to try some other variations then you could go for a different kind of tortellini. You can also swap the chicken for leftover cooked ham, turkey or even sausage.
Can You Freeze This Tortellini Soup and How Long Does it Last?
Yes! This soup freezes well just pour into suitable containers or ziploc bags and thaw as needed.
The soup will also last for up to 3 days in the fridge but please note that the pasta will turn soft as it absorbs more liquid so it’s best eaten the same day or frozen.
Top Tips for Making Tortellini Soup
- Yes, you read that right—there’s a whole head of garlic in this soup, plus a little more! Don’t worry; it mellows during cooking. Be sure to save those 2 cloves to grate into the soup during the last 5 minutes of cooking. It gives the soup and extra punch of flavor that you’ll appreciate.
- If you don’t have a Microplane grater (and I definitely recommend getting one—they’re great for zesting citrus, grating nutmeg and whole cheeses, and a variety of other kitchen tasks) you can use the smallest holes of your box grater, or mince it a finely and you can manage.
- I like to use low-sodium chicken stock so that you can control the amount of salt in your recipe.
- You can always add salt at the end if you need it, but you can never take it away.
- If you can find a lemon-pepper flavored rotisserie chicken at your grocery’s deli, I definitely recommend using it. But a regular roasted chicken or chicken breasts will do just fine.
- Did you notice that I called for throwing a Parmesan rind into the soup? That’s not a mistake! It infuses the soup with tons of rich, savory Parmesan flavor. I like to buy a wedge of Parmesan, grate what I need, and hack off the rind to add in the soup. Just be sure to remove it before serving; it gets really soft and gooey, but it’s not good to eat.
- One more tip: you can store
- leftover Parmesan rinds in the freezer in a Ziploc bag for up to a year.
- Use any brand of filled frozen tortellini that you like; just be sure not to boil them, so they hold their shape.
- This seems like a lot of spinach, but it cooks down quickly. Add it in batches, stirring as you add it.
More Delicious Soup Recipes to Try;
If you’ve tried this Tortellini Soup recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you.
Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 head garlic
- ½ tsp. kosher salt plus additional to taste
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio
- 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes in juice (undrained)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig basil plus additional for garnish
- 1 Parmesan rind optional
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 19 oz package package frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 5 oz bag baby spinach
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium.
- Peel all garlic cloves; set two garlic cloves aside. Thinly slice remaining garlic cloves.
- Add onion, sliced garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper.
- Cook, stirring often, until garlic just starts to turn golden, about 10 minutes.
- Add wine to pan, stirring to loosen any browned bits. Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands (or buy crushed tomatoes).
- Stir in chicken stock, rosemary, basil, Parmesan rind, lemon zest and juice, and chicken.
- Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove rosemary and basil sprigs, and Parmesan rind.
- Stir in frozen tortellini, spinach, and grated Parmesan.
- Grate 2 remaining garlic cloves using a Microplane; stir into soup. Simmer 5 minutes more.
- Garnish servings with additional basil and grated Parmesan.
Notes
- Yes, you read that right—there’s a whole head of garlic in this soup, plus a little more! Don’t worry; it mellows during cooking. Be sure to save those 2 cloves to grate into the soup during the last 5 minutes of cooking. It gives the soup and extra punch of flavor that you’ll appreciate.
- If you don’t have a Microplane grater (and I definitely recommend getting one—they’re great for zesting citrus, grating nutmeg and whole cheeses, and a variety of other kitchen tasks) you can use the smallest holes of your box grater, or mince it a finely and you can manage.
- I like to use low-sodium chicken stock so that you can control the amount of salt in your recipe.
- You can always add salt at the end if you need it, but you can never take it away.
- If you can find a lemon-pepper flavored rotisserie chicken at your grocery’s deli, I definitely recommend using it. But a regular roasted chicken or chicken breasts will do just fine.
- Did you notice that I called for throwing a Parmesan rind into the soup? That’s not a mistake! It infuses the soup with tons of rich, savory Parmesan flavor. I like to buy a wedge of Parmesan, grate what I need, and hack off the rind to add in the soup. Just be sure to remove it before serving; it gets really soft and gooey, but it’s not good to eat.
- One more tip: you can store
- leftover Parmesan rinds in the freezer in a Ziploc bag for up to a year.
- Use any brand of filled frozen tortellini that you like; just be sure not to boil them, so they hold their shape.
- This seems like a lot of spinach, but it cooks down quickly. Add it in batches, stirring as you add it.
So surprised I loved the spinach in this recipe. Almost skipped it but glad I didn’t!