Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
Creamy. Comforting. Cozy.
Living in the Midwest, there are plenty of days where we are in need of something warm and filling. It can be challenging to spice things up when it comes to soup, but this tortellini soup is one of Rich’s favorites. Not just because there’s pasta in there, but also because while it’s filling, it also has a very light taste to it.
I used to use a stockpot for soups and stews, but my grandma bought me a dutch oven for Christmas. I was so excited! Rich, on the other hand, only knew one definition of dutch oven, so it was a bit of a learning curve for him. Regardless, grab your dutch oven, large pot, or stockpot and let’s get started!
Let's begin!
I'll read another time. Skip the recipe, please!
First you want to brown your chicken by heating 1 tablespoon of EVOO over medium-high heat. Technically you can put raw chicken directly into the soup to cook, but I find by browning it, the chicken keeps a slightly crunchy exterior and when it finishes stewing in the soup, it has an excellent flavor! Once all sides are browned (about 6 minutes), remove the chicken and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining olive oil, onions, carrots and celery. Fun fact: this trio is known as a mirepoix. Occasionally stir the mix until it is tender and slightly translucent. In my opinion, there’s nothing worse than mushy veggies in liquid. Personally, I like a little crunch in my veggies when eating soup, so I make sure they maintain a little stiffness.
Next, add salt, pepper, and chicken bouillon. Chicken bouillon is a flavor bomb! In fact, it’s my secret weapon to all things chicken flavor. Then add flour and stir until all veggies are coated. They’ll look almost clumpy but the flour will help thicken up your soup when you add the stock… which is your next move, after you return the chicken! Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to simmer and whisk in heavy cream. This will lighten the color of the soup and give it a nice creamy texture. Once the cream is reduced and slightly thickened, add beans, tortellini, lemon slices and spinach… it always surprises me how much a large bunch of spinach can dwindle down to a small lump.
Finally, cover and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
RECIPE ME:
