A couple years ago, my husband was in a horrible bike accident. After brain surgery to repair a sub-dermal hematoma, he spent a week in the ICU for a punctured lung, 10 broken ribs, a broken scapula and fractured collarbone (which he then had surgery on as well). After 10 grueling days, he was released to go home and recuperate. At the time, we were living in a tiny apartment, as our house was being remolded. We rented a hospital bed and made a make-shift room for Joey to rest in. Between being his nurse and desperately trying to keep the boys from jumping on his broken body, it was an insane, crazy time. My saving grace was that my sister-in-law organized a food chain where our friends dropped us dinner a few nights a week. I can’t tell you how nice and comforting it was to have home-cooked meals made for us during such a stressful time. This chicken tortellini soup was definitely one of our most memorable meals. And what’s even sweeter is that it was made by the husband of one of my best friends from college. I emailed him a few weeks ago for the recipe and here is my best stab at his very casual “dude directions”. It is indulgent and comforting, while still being somewhat healthy. Since you add the soup to the separately cooked tortellini, you can make it gluten-free by substituting brown rice (which is just as delicious). Last week, when I was making it for our Sunday dinner, I couldn’t stop thinking back to that crazy time. I felt so fortunate to have Joey next to me as good as new (besides some cools scars.) I also felt so thankful to my friends and family for all their support during that time. Enjoy!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3-4 carrots, chopped
- 3-4 celery stalks, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- fresh ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 quarts of chicken broth
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese plus more for topping
- 2 roasted or rotisserie chickens
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 package or tortellini
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-heat. Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme and saute until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring chicken stock to a boil in a large soup pot. Add the sauteed the veggies and let simmer until soft, about 10 minutes. Let soup cool and then purée it in high powered blender.
- Return soup to a clean pot, and add water or stock if broth is too thick. Adjust seasonings, and add cheese.
- Pull all of the meat off the chickens and add it the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook on low for an hour. Once done, add the spinach and remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside
- When ready to serve, put a big spoonful of tortellini in a large bowl. Ladle warm soup over and top with parmesan cheese.
- **You can use brown rice in place of tortellini to make it gluten-free.
Leave a Reply