Creamy & Lemony Chicken Tortellini Soup with Spinach

Creamy & Lemony Chicken Tortellini Soup with Spinach

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 sweet onion
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 large lemons, divided (zested and squeezed)
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped or 1-2 tablespoons dried dill  (or hyme, oregano, or rosemary)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1(19-ounce) bag of cheese or spinach tortellini
• 1 cup heavy cream or 1 cup chicken stock (added to the beginning of the recipe)
• 6 ounces of fresh baby spinach
• 2 ounces feta cheese (or parmesan)
• Garnish with crumbled feta, red pepper flakes, and fresh dill

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the olive oil in a large 6-8 quart sauce pot over medium-low heat. Once the oil is hot, saute the chopped onion for 3-5 minutes to soften. Add garlic and cook for one minute.
2. Add the chicken broth, chicken breasts, zest of one lemon, dill, red pepper, salt, and pepper to the pot. Raise the heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, then simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Using tongs, remove the two chicken breasts from the pot. Use a fork and tongs to shred the chicken.
3. Stir in the tortellini and shredded chicken. Simmer for another 8-10 minutes or according to the tortellini package directions. Add the juice of 1-2 lemons depending on the depth of flavor. Turn off heat and add spinach. Cook until just wilted.
4. Stir in 2 ounces of crumbled feta cheese or add as a garnish. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with feta, and red pepper flakes.

Note: For a thicker soup, after cooking and removing the chicken, combine a cup of broth with 1-2 tablespoons of flour and whisk well. Add back to the pot and cook for 3-5 min or until thickened.