Lemony Chicken & Tortellini Soup Avgolemono

A delicious twist on a Greek classic that’s quick, easy, and always delicious!

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Lemony Greek Avgolemono Soup never disappoints, and this fun addition of cheesy tortellini pasta takes it to the next level. I would have never thought of putting cheese-filled pasta in a lemony chicken soup, but I’m so glad I tried it. The combination goes so well together.

Why it works!

It’s light, bright and fresh,

Yet comforting

And cheesy with

Juicy, meaty chicken

And tender veggies in a

Luxurious, silky, creamy lemony broth.

How popular is this soup?

Classic Greek chicken avgolemono soup has to be one of the most popular soups in Greece. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also thought of as Greek penicillin during the colder months. It’s made with homemade chicken stock, chunks of chicken, sauteed veggies, zesty lemon sauce, and the love of the mama who made it. I don’t know anyone who has succeeded in contesting the deliciousness or its health benefits. 😉

Here’s what you’ll need!

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs -I always have these on hand because they stay juicy even if you overcook them. However, you can substitute chicken breast if that’s what you have.
• Olive oil -helps the vegetables cook and brown.
• Carrots -peeled and diced into bite-size pieces for the soup.
• Garlic cloves -grated or minced to add a soft, nutty sweetness to the lemon.
• Chicken stock -Making your own chicken stock is cost-effective, super easy, and delicious. It’s perfect for adding more chicken flavor. However, store-bought chicken stock would work just as easily.
• Ground turmeric -this is not a traditional Greek ingredient, but it’s so healthy and adds beautiful color to the soup.
• Salt -combines all the flavors and enhances them for the best flavor.
• Freshly cracked pepper -not only does it add a subtle heat, but the combination of lemon and pepper pairs so well.
• Tortellini pasta -soaks up all of the delicious flavors of the broth and creates a creamy, cheesy flavor burst with each bite!
• Fresh parsley -finely chopped.

For the Avgolemono

• Egg yolks -I prefer using just yolks for my avgolemono sauce because the result is a silky-smooth soup that’s rich and creamy.
• Corn starch -perfect to thicken the broth.
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice -always use fresh squeezed lemon juice, and don’t forget that you can use as much as you’d like. If you want more lemony goodness, feel free to add more lemon juice!

Why use tortellini?

I like to buy the five cheese tortellini from my local Costco. It usually comes in a double pack, so I get two meals out of it. I had purchased it to make my butternut squash tortellini soup and thought, “Why not make a delicious lemony chicken soup with the second pack?” You’ll see what a great idea it was!

What if I don’t have tortellini?

Try ravioli if you don’t have tortellini but would still like a creamy, cheesy-filled pasta. You can use rice or orzo as I did in my instant pot avgolemono soup. I used potato in a lemony chicken and potato soup, or use any pasta you have on hand if you’d like to make this straight from your pantry. Just make sure the pasta, rice, or potatoes are cooked and ready to use when you start building your soup.

How to make Lemony Chicken and Tortellini Soup, known as Avgolemono

You’ll want to prepare all of the components of the soup before building the soup because once you start, the recipe moves pretty quickly. I use a cutting board to shred the chicken and cut my vegetables. So, I leave it all on the cutting board so it’s ready to use when I need it.

Cook the chicken:

Place the chicken in a saucepan with 4-6 cups of water or enough to cover the meat. Then, season with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2-25 minutes. When done, transfer the chicken to a plate to cool and reserve the broth.

Prepare the broth and chicken:

Strain the broth to avoid any bones or cartilage that may have fallen off the chicken. Then, shred the chicken and set aside.

Make the lemon sauce:

Combine the avgolemono ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together.

Build the soup:

Add the olive oil and carrots to a soup pot and cook over medium heat until tender -about 8 minutes. Then, add the garlic to warm through until fragrant. Add the chicken stock, turmeric, shredded chicken, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Bring to a boil and add the tortellini pasta.

When using fresh Tortellini:

If the pasta is fresh, add the avgolemono sauce at the same time.

When using dried tortellini:

If the tortellini are dried pasta and requires 8-10 minutes of boiling, add the avgolemono during the last 3 minutes of cooking.

Finishing the soup:

Simmer on medium heat until the pasta is fully cooked, and the soup thickens slightly. Taste and add more salt if desired. Garnish with chopped parsley and let the soup rest for 5-10 minutes.

Best way to serve?

As the soup rests, the pasta thickens the broth even more, creating a luxurious, silky, creamy broth you’ll want to eat daily. Get some good crusty bread or make an easy homemade crusty baguette to soak up every drop of the lemony broth. Because of the heartiness of the cheesy tortellini, you could serve a bit smaller bowl with a Greek salad for lunch or dinner. Let me know how you serve it! Kali Orexi!