Springy and light yet comforting and flavor-packed, this recipe takes its cues from avgolemono, a family of Greek soups (and sauces) in which broth is thickened with egg and lemon juice. Eggs and lemon is a classic pair that's also common in Turkish, Balkan, Arab, Italian, and Sephardic Jewish cuisine, among others. Since a good deal of the flavor in the final dish comes from vegetable broth, you’ll want to make sure you’re using one that tastes good to you: Homemade is ideal, but when that’s not possible, I like Better Than Bouillon. You can also use cartons of broth from the store or bouillon cubes—just follow the directions on the package. A good rule of thumb is to add 1 less bouillon cube than suggested, then taste before you add the final cube—some brands can be quite salty! (Though, if worse comes to worst, you can always dilute your soup with a little water.) While mature spinach retains a better texture, you can also use baby in a pinch.
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What you’ll need
Better-Than-Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Paste
$6 At Amazon
8-Inch Chef's Knife
$47 At Amazon
Salad Spinner
$40 At Amazon
IPOW Fine Mesh Strainers (Set of 3)
$12 At Amazon
Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
Measuring Cups
$28 At Bon Appétit Market
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Measuring Spoons
$10 At Bon Appétit Market
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
Spider
$10 At Amazon
Small Bowl
$15 At Amazon
Medium Bowl
$17 At Amazon
Ladle
$8 At Amazon
Vegetable Peeler
$12 $10 At Amazon
Ingredients
4 servings
1
1
1
10
1–2
4
1
Preparation
Step 1
Prep your green things: Trim roots and leggy stalks from 1 bunch mature spinach (9–12 oz.). Wash well and spin or pat dry; coarsely chop. Coarsely chop leaves and tender stems from 1 small bunch dill to make ½ cup. Set a few tender sprigs aside for serving; reserve remaining dill for another use.
Step 2
Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot. Add 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. vegetable bouillon paste (preferably Better Than Bouillon) or 4 cubes bouillon (or follow the package instructions) and whisk to dissolve. (Alternatively, you can heat 8 cups vegetable stock or low-sodium vegetable broth if you prefer). Add 10 oz. cheese, spinach, or mushroom tortellini and cook 3 minutes (or according to package directions), then remove from heat. Using a spider, slotted spoon, or fine-mesh sieve, divide among bowls.
Step 3
Cut 1 lemon in half and squeeze juice through your hand or a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. You should have ¼ cup; repeat with another lemon if you need a little more juice.
Step 4
Whisk lemon juice, 4 large eggs, and 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper in a medium bowl or large measuring glass to combine.
Step 5
Return broth to a gentle simmer. Scoop out about 1 cup and very gradually drizzle into egg mixture, whisking constantly. (This step, called tempering, warms up the delicate eggs slowly so that they don’t scramble when you add them to the rest of the hot broth.) The egg mixture should be quite warm to the touch—if not, whisk in more broth.
Step 6
Whisking constantly, gradually pour warm egg mixture into broth in pot. Cook, whisking often, over medium heat, until slightly thickened, 5–7 minutes. (Do not let broth come to a full boil.) Taste and season with kosher salt and more pepper if needed. If your broth is really salty, you might need to add a bit of water to dilute the soup.
Step 7
Remove from heat and add spinach and chopped dill (the spinach will wilt immediately.)
Step 8
Ladle broth into bowls with tortellini. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and shave or finely grate Parmesan over. Sprinkle with a little pepper and top with remaining reserved dill sprigs.
Step 9
Do ahead: Tortellini can be cooked 2 days ahead. Toss in an airtight container with a little oil to keep from sticking. Cover and chill. Broth can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat very gently, stirring constantly to re-emulsify (it may separate in the fridge), before ladling over tortellini.
How would you rate Lemony Tortellini Soup With Spinach and Dill?
Leave a Review
Reviews (181)
Back to TopAdded cubed chicken and mushrooms. Definitely putting this one in the "routine".
Catherine
Greenville, NC
1/31/2024
The key to this recipe is having really good ingredients. Next time, I will get fresh tortellini, chicken stock, and parmesan reggiano from the fancy grocery store, and I imagine it will taste much better. I think I could have added five or so garlic cloves with what I had this time and that would have done the trick.
Anonymous
Ridgewood, New York
8/25/2023
I’ve made this soup a dozen times. It’s a family favorite, especially when I cut the amount of dill by a half or even more. Listen, it’s a fast-prep cheat avgolemono, so don’t expect avgolemono. Add some cooked chicken, or even some puréed rice and broth, before pouring the egg in, if you want to pump it up. I use cheese tortellini, which is the right amount of savory, and we’re liberal with the parmesan at serving.
Jane
St. Louis MO
7/23/2023
very disappointed. Do not waste your time on this dish
Mercedes
5/4/2023
Easy to make… but was definitively missing something. Don’t think I’ll make again
Anonymous
Longboat Key Florida
4/10/2023
Not bad, but definitely boring. After reading other's reviews, I added extra lemon (1/3 cup and I love lemon,) but think it was actually a bit too much. Maybe will use the zest if I make it again, but that's pretty unlikely.
Megan
Niwot, CO
3/29/2023
Nice silky soup but a bit too bland . I added extra lemon and salt ( I was using my own chicken broth so it had a small amount of salt to begin with .) I think it will be more flavorful tomorrow.
Claire Leonard
Tucson
1/5/2023
I have mixed reviews about this recipe. 1. I thought it was better after sitting for a little bit. The broth thickened up a little, which I liked. 2. This recipe needs some heat. In the salt, fat, heat, acid formula, my tastebuds missed the heat (and I added more salt). I was underwhelmed the night I ate this dish. When I heated it up for leftovers the next night and added chili flakes, it was MUCH better. It's a great base to get rid of greens and herbs and still have a creamy little dish (without the cream). I think you could make it your own with what you have on hand with good results.
LT
5/23/2022
Where da recipe at?
Anonymous
5/10/2022
A delicious and refreshing taste. Started with the juice of one lemon and a small handful of dill. It was perfect! All 4 guests loved it. I make again and again!
Sue Ottawa
Ottawa ON
4/10/2022
Too much lemon, too much dill. They overpower everything else. Needed another flavor to balance out the two. Won't make again.
Lydia
Minneapolis, MN
4/5/2022
Simply delicious
KBechtel
New Orleans
3/14/2022
What is wrong with BA!!?? I have been asking for a print button for years! The refusal to make recipes easier to download and print is a mystery to me. Very disappointed in BA all around.
PRunge
San Francisco
2/15/2022
It was delish! Separated a bit at the end even though I was constantly stirring - not sure how to prevent this. Did I not temper my eggs well enough? Looked okay to start before I added the spinach and dill.
Anonymous
Barrie, ON Canada
1/27/2022
Loved it on the second try! The first time I made it I thought it tasted too much of egg yolk and I added too much dill. I made it with brown organic eggs this time and it was completely transformed!! No metallic eggy after taste. I was also more careful with how much dill I put in. Added some leftover fresh basil as well. So simple and delicious, and just one pot!
Kaitlin
Chicago
1/13/2022