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This easy one-pot chicken tortellini soup is loaded with veggies, cheese tortellini, spinach, and fresh lemon. Perfect for fall and winter, meal prep, or a comforting weeknight dinner. You can make it on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, or an Instant Pot.
Lemon Chicken Tortellini Soup (One-Pot, No Cream)
Lately I've been on a roll with cozy, comforting soups like my Hungarian mushroom soup and chicken lemon orzo soup, which have become some of the most-cooked recipes on my site this fall. This chicken tortellini soup fits right in: a bright, brothy chicken soup packed with high-quality, simple ingredients-shredded chicken, spinach, carrots, mushrooms, fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley, and plenty of lemon. I make it on repeat because it's truly easy, one-pot, travels well, and reheats beautifully; it's my go-to to share with friends and family, and it belongs in your cool-weather rotation just like my sausage tortellini soup. It's healthy, flexible, and weeknight-friendly: use rotisserie or leftover shredded chicken, and swap tortellini for ravioli or your favorite small pasta like farfalle, orzo, or ditalini.
Tortellini Substitutes
If you don't have tortellini, don't worry. Mini ravioli (cheese or spinach-ricotta), gnocchi, or even small pasta shapes like orzo or ditalini work wonderfully. For gluten-free version, use GF small pasta like farfalle or GF ravioli. You can even use Chicken sausage tortelloni that are richer, heartier alternative. For a lighter version, add cooked rice or quinoa instead-it keeps things healthy and cozy while letting the broth shine.
How to Make Chicken Tortellini Soup (Step-By-Step Photos)
- Gather all your ingredients. This photo conveniently shows everything you need:
- Cook veggies: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms, season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 6-7 minutes until softened and golden.
- Add herbs: Stir in garlic, thyme, rosemary, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook for a minute or two, just until fragrant.
- Pour in chicken stock, scrape up any browned bits, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add shredded chicken and tortellini, simmering until the pasta is tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in spinach and lemon juice, cooking just until wilted.
- Remove from heat, taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve hot, topped with chopped parsley and a sprig of thyme.
How to Make It in a Slow Cooker
- Add all ingredients except tortellini, spinach, and lemon juice to the crockpot.
- With raw chicken: Cook on Low 6-7 hours or High 3-4 hours. Shred chicken, return to pot.
- With pre-cooked shredded chicken: Cook on Low 3-4 hours just to meld flavors.
- Stir in the tortellini during the last 30 minutes, then add spinach and lemon juice right before serving.
How to Make It in an Instant Pot
- Use Sauté mode with olive oil; cook onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms 5-6 minutes. Add fresh garlic/herbs 30-60 seconds.
- With raw chicken: Add broth and raw chicken. Seal and cook 6-8 minutes at High Pressure (thighs 8-10). Quick release. Shred and return.
- With pre-cooked shredded chicken: Add broth; don't add chicken yet. Pressure cook 1 minute just to infuse veg; quick release, then stir in shredded chicken and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, quick-release.
- Switch to Sauté, add tortellini; simmer 2-4 minutes until al dente. Turn off heat, wilt spinach, add lemon, adjust seasoning, serve.
Is Chicken Tortellini Soup Healthy?
Generally, yes-especially the way I make it. You're getting lean protein (shredded chicken), lots of veggies (onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, spinach), and a broth-based soup that's lighter than cream soups. Tortellini adds carbs and a bit of cheese; portion it to your goals. To make it even lighter: use low-sodium broth, add more spinach, swap some tortellini for zucchini "noodles," and finish with lemon instead of extra salt. You're getting a nourishing balance of carbs, protein, and veggies all in one easy pot.
What to Serve With It
- Bread: A slice of warm, crusty bread or garlic knots. You can also make my garlic rolls, savory bacon and cheddar scones, or Italian-style garlic bread.
- Salad: Simple mixed greens or Caesar salad will do. Or, make my Greek salad or Italian salad. For something more fruity, try my mango blueberry spinach salad or apple spinach salad.
- Veggie side: Roasted vegetables like Brussels sprouts with bacon or baked cheesy asparagus.
- Wine: A glass of crisp white wine like Pinot Grigio for pairing.
Chicken Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 milliliters)
- 1 medium onion (150 grams), chopped
- 2 medium carrots (120 grams), diced
- 2 stalks celery (100 grams), diced
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms (90 grams), sliced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (1.5 grams)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder (1.5 grams)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 cloves garlic (12 grams) minced
- 8 cups chicken stock or broth (1.9 liters)
- 1 teaspoon snipped thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 12 oz refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini about 3 cups (340 grams)
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (250 grams)
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach (90 grams), packed
- 2 medium lemons start with 1 and adjust to taste (about 60 milliliters)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, diced carrots, celery, and sliced mushrooms. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, for about 6 to 7 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and are just starting to turn golden.
- Stir in the minced garlic, thyme sprigs, and chopped rosemary. Add the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until everything smells super fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken stock, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 5 minutes so the flavors can start to come together.
- Add the shredded chicken and tortellini, and let it simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes (or however long the package of tortellini suggests), until the pasta is perfectly tender.
- Stir in the baby spinach and the juice of half a lemon, cooking just another minute or two until the spinach wilts.
- Take the pot off the heat, taste the soup, and adjust with more lemon juice, salt, or pepper if you think it needs a little extra brightness or kick.
- Ladle into bowls and top with chopped parsley and a fresh sprig of thyme before serving.
Notes
- How to make it with raw chicken: After sautéing the veggies and adding the garlic/herbs, add broth and raw chicken (skinless boneless breasts or thighs), then maintain a gentle simmer (not a boil) until cooked through-about 12-18 minutes for breasts or 18-22 minutes for thighs, aiming for 165°F/74°C internal temperature of the chicken. Transfer chicken to a board, rest 5 minutes, shred, and return it to the pot. Add tortellini and simmer just until al dente, then turn off the heat and stir in spinach and lemon to keep the greens vibrant and the broth bright; season to taste.
- Make it creamy: Stir in a splash of half-and-half or a spoonful of cream cheese right at the end.
- Add extra veggies: Zucchini, kale, bell peppers, or even peas work beautifully. I often toss in extra veggies when making big batches for friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use frozen tortellini? Yes. Add from frozen and simmer 1-2 minutes longer.
- How do I keep the pasta from getting soggy? Cook the tortellini right before serving or store it separately in broth. Reheat gently; this is how we keep that al dente texture.
- Can I make it dairy-free or lighter? Use chicken mini gnocchi, GF short pasta like farfalle, or dairy-free tortellini; skip cheese garnishes. For lighter calories, add more veggies and extra spinach, and use lean shredded chicken.
- How do I fix a too-sour broth? Add a splash of broth, a pat of butter, or a pinch of sugar-this is how we rebalance lemon-forward soups.
Storage, Reheating, Freezing, and Make-Ahead
- Storage: Refrigerate in airtight containers up to 4 days. Tortellini continues to soften. For best texture, store cooked tortellini separately in its liquid or cook the pasta fresh when reheating.
- Reheating: Stovetop on low until steaming; thin with a splash of broth or water. Add a squeeze of lemon to wake it up. Microwave on 50-70% power in short bursts.
- Freezing: Freeze without tortellini and spinach up to 3 months, as tortellini can get mushy. Thaw overnight, reheat, then add fresh tortellini to simmer and finish with spinach + lemon.
- Make-Ahead: You can make the broth and shredded chicken ahead, keep it refrigerated or frozen, then add the tortellini and spinach when ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
This chicken tortellini soup is just delicious. The seasoning is perfect and it’s easy to make thank you so much.
So happy to hear that, Regina! ❤️ Thank you so much for taking the time to share your review!❤️
I try so many recipes online and 80% of them are huge disappointments, this was FANTASTIC!
Perfect seasoning and just the right balance of ingredients, I’ll be keeping this one.
Elizabeth, your comment made my day! ❤️ Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a positive and uplifting comment! 🙂
Just finished off the leftovers. Great flavor! I decided to take the easy way - 1 lb rotissery chicken (needed to dice larger pieces), small package cheese tortellini, pre-minced garlic, 2 packages chicken stock. Only needed to prep onion, celery and carrots. I used juice from 1 whole lemon but still not enough if you want a pronounced aroma/flavor.
Thanks so much for sharing how you made it, David! I love that you simplified things using rotisserie chicken and pre‑minced garlic - those are smart shortcuts for a busy night. 🙂 Using the juice of one whole lemon was a great idea, and if you’d like more lemony flavor next time, consider adding a splash of extra lemon juice after you’ve tasted, or even a little lemon zest stirred in at the end.
How do I make this recipe in a crockpot?
Hi Carol! I have the instructions right within the post (above the recipe card). 🙂 I will copy and paste them here for you:
How to Make It in a Slow Cooker
1) Add all ingredients except tortellini, spinach, and lemon juice to the crockpot.
2) With raw chicken: Cook on Low 6-7 hours or High 3-4 hours. Shred chicken, return to pot.
3) With pre-cooked shredded chicken: Cook on Low 3-4 hours just to meld flavors.
4) Stir in the tortellini during the last 30 minutes, then add spinach and lemon juice right before serving.
Really good recipe. We made a double batch and froze the extra for future meals.
So glad you loved it, Daniel! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to share your 5-star review! 🙂
Used an orange bell pepper because I didnt have celery. This was yummy. Son happened to mention he might be getting sick so I shared half with him and his wife. Thank you!
Thank you so much for your review, Karen! ❤️ Orange bell pepper is even better (more flavorful) than celery! 🙂
I made the lemon chicken orzo soup and it was fantastic! Last night I made the Hungarian mushroom soup, also terrific! Thanks!
Thank you, Diane! I am so glad you loved both soups! ❤️ Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! ❤️