Rotisserie Chicken Tortellini Soup

When you need a comforting, hearty meal on the table in a hurry, Rotisserie Chicken Tortellini Soup is here to help you out. This soup combines the convenient, savory goodness of rotisserie chicken along with cheese tortellini, plus a vibrant blend of herbs like basil, tarragon, and parsley. A generous serving of pesto adds an herby, flavorful punch, making this dish feel both classic and modern. It’s everything you love about chicken soup, but elevated with quick, flavorful shortcuts to save time without sacrificing taste.

Why I love this soup, and hope you will, too

Sometimes, you just need a good chicken soup. As a soup fanatic, I have a lot of chicken soup recipes on this site. Did I really need one more?

Of course I did. You know who you’re talking to, right? Lol.

This soup came about when I realized I had made a little too much pesto from the basil in my garden and was also craving chicken soup in the worst way. Keeping the pesto in mind, I wanted something light and herby — very, very herby. So many herbs that the broth turns green! (No worries: you don’t have to make the pesto from scratch. Prepared pesto is perfect.)

But I also wanted to create a recipe that I could turn to any day of the week, without facing fussy preparation. Hello, rotisserie chicken! If you have reliable access to rotisserie chicken, it really is a cook’s bff for weeknight meals.

There’s a lot to be said for cooking chicken soup from scratch, but I’m no soup snob. I’m perfectly happy to take shortcuts on days when shortcuts mean the difference between soup and no soup.

I love how fast everything comes together. Thirty minutes and done (depending on how fast you are with vegetable prep). This one will be on repeat all winter long.

Reasons this soup is a hit at Casa SoupAddict:

Quick and easy: Rotisserie chicken, quick-cooking refrigerated tortellini, and prepared pesto make this a weeknight winner.

Full of herby goodness: Lots of fragrant herbs and a big swirl of pesto create an irresistible broth.

Comforting and satisfying: Hearty chicken and cheesy tortellini make it a filling main dish.

Great for using leftovers: A delicious way to use leftover chicken or pesto.

Main Ingredients, Notes, and Substitutions

Chicken — I use rotisserie chicken for this recipe because it’s convenient and so very flavorful for a ready-to-go ingredient. You can substitute raw chicken if you prefer (use about a pound). Brown the chicken in the pan first with some oil, flipping once, until cooked through (i.e., when the internal temp at the thickest point reaches 165ºF). Let cool, then shred with two forks. Then start the recipe as written. This will add about 15 minutes to the cook.

Tortellini — Using refrigerated tortellini instead of dried saves almost 10 minutes. And you have more options, at least at my store (e.g., often there’s spinach and cheese, three cheese, sausage and cheese). If using dried, just make sure to cook the tortellini according to package directions. You can cook it right in the soup, same as the refrigerated.

Aromatics — A generous helping of aromatic veggies creates a strong flavor foundation for Rotisserie Chicken Tortellini Soup. I used onions, celery, and carrots – the classic mirepoix – plus leeks because I love the flavor in chicken soups. And don’t forget the garlic!

Herbs — As I mentioned, I wanted this soup to be herbaceous and bright. I start with dried herbs, with their intense flavors — basil, tarragon, and parsley — and finish with lots of pesto.

Acids — Chicken soup always benefits from acids added towards the end of cooking. Here, I used lots of freshly squeezed lemon juice plus a splash of balsamic vinegar, which is bright with a touch of sweetness.

How to Make Rotisserie Chicken Soup

Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to get the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the soup.

Prep notes

Here are some hopefully helpful guidelines for prepping the soup ingredients. Anything that just needs to be measured out of a container – such as dried herbs and liquids – is not addressed here.

• Chop the onions, celery, and carrots in equal, small pieces.
• Remove and discard the tough, dark green leaves from the leek. Slice open the leek stem and thoroughly rinse the inner rings (dirt can get trapped within). Pat the stem dry, and slice the light green and white parts thinly (discard the root end). Then chop through the slices to break them down a little bit. (Here’s more information about cleaning leeks LLIINNKK, plus an alternative method.)
• Break down a rotisserie chicken, removing and discarding the skin, and then removing the meat from the bones. Pull apart into shreds, or use to two forks to create the shreds. You’ll need about 3 cups, although you can use more. Store any leftover chicken in a zipper bag in the refrigerator or the freezer.
• Remove the stems from about 20 spinach leaves. Stack 5 leaves on top of each other and roll up. Slice the roll, creating thin curls of julienned strips. Repeat with the remaining leaves.
• Slice a lemon in half, and then one of the halves into wedges. Squeeze the juice from the large half, and reserve the wedges for serving.

Step 1: Saute the aromatics

Start by sautéing the aromatics in some oil until they’re nice and soft. Covering the pot with a lid will save a few minutes (but not required). Before starting the soup proper, mix in the dried herbs and garlic to create a flavorful soup base.

Step 2: Add the broth and cook the tortellini

Add the chicken broth. We’re using a lot of broth here, because the tortellini will soak up a portion of it. For extra flavor, we’re also using some Better Than Bouillon, which introduces more seasoning than just a heavy salting would do.

If you have just a quart (4 cups) of chicken broth, you can use the Better Than Bouillon with water to create the other 2 cups of broth, and save some money.

When the soup is simmering, add the tortellini and cook until they float.

Step 3: Finish the soup

Finally, mix in the cooked chicken, spinach, acids, and pesto, and let warm through. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Storing

This soup will last in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note that the tortellini will soften and become a little fragile. But as someone who never lets any soup go to waste, I can say that I enjoyed the leftovers of this soup for several lunches. Tortellini is a thick pasta and holds together better than other types.

This soup is not really fit for freezing, because the freeze-thaw-reheat process will break down the tortellini a little too much. Flavor-wise, the soup would be fine, but the texture could be weird with the mushy pasta.

You could, however, omit the tortellini as you’re cooking the recipe, and freeze that version of the soup. Then, when you’re reheating, add the tortellini at that point (actually, I would recommend cooking the tortellini separately as the soup is rewarming, and then add the tortellini to it at the end).

There’s really nothing quite like chicken soup. It perks you up when you’re feeling blah, and nourishes you from the inside out. If you’re really feeling under the weather, try my reader-favorite Cold-Fighting Couscous Chicken Soup with extra nutrition to help you feel better.

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Rotisserie Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe

A quick and easy soup recipe that transforms rotisserie chicken and cheese tortellini into a flavorful and satisfying meal. Aromatic vegetables, loads of herbs, and a big swirl of pesto elevate chicken soup to a whole new level of deliciousness.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: rotisserie chicken tortellini soup

Servings: 6

Author: Karen Gibson

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 cup diced onions (about 1 small/medium onion)
• 1 cup chopped leeks , white and light green parts only (discard the dark leaves)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery (about 2 large ribs)
• 1/3 cup chopped carrot (one medium carrot)
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon dried sweet basil
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• salt and black pepper
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon chicken flavored Better Than Boullion
• 9 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 3 cups shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken (or leftover chicken)
• 1/4 cup chopped spinach , sliced julienne
• 1/4 cup prepared pesto
• 1 lemon , sliced in half
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a 4 to 5 quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium until the surface shimmers. Add the onions, leeks, celery, and carrots, and saute until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and dried herbs, plus a big pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well to mix and let the garlic become fragrant.
• Add the chicken broth and the Better Than Boullion. Bring the soup to a light boil over high heat, and then adjust to retain an active simmer (bubbles breaking the surface but not spitting). Add the tortellini and simmer for the amount of time called for on the packaging (different brands require different times). In general, though, the tortellinis are cooked through when they float to the top. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Add the shredded chicken and spinach and mix well. Let warm through for several minutes.
• Stir in the pesto, the juice from one half of the lemon, and balsamic vinegar (if using). Taste, and add more salt and/or lemon juice to taste. The flavor should be bright and herbaceous.
• Slice the remaining lemon into wedges and serve on the side with the soup.

Nutritional information, if shown, is provided as a courtesy only, and is not to be taken as medical information or advice. The nutritional values of your preparation of this recipe are impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to, the ingredient brands you use, any substitutions or measurement changes you make, and measuring accuracy.