Chicken Tortellini Soup

This is a quick and easy meal for a cold winter night. Comfort in a bowl.

PREP TIME: 10 Minutes

COOK TIME: 1 Hour

TOTAL TIME: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

YIELD: 6 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Breasts

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 cup Yellow Onion, diced

1 cup Zucchini, sliced and quartered

1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1/4 cup Water

6 cups Vegetable Broth

1/4 cup Tomato Paste

1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

2 Cloves Fresh Garlic, minced

2 cups Fresh Baby Spinach

2 cups Fresh Cheese Tortellini Pasta

2 tbsp Fresh Italian Parsley

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese, to taste for serving

OPTIONAL:

Store-Bought Pesto, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.

2. Place the chicken on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil, fitted with a rack. Generously salt and pepper both sides of each chicken breast. Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through to 165° Fahrenheit. Set aside to cool.

3. Meanwhile, in a large Dutch Oven, heat the olive oil in the pot. Then add the diced onion, and cook until translucent and fragrant, then add the zucchini and cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, then add the 1/4 cup of water, reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for 3-4 minutes or until the tomatoes soften and begin to breakdown.

4. Then add the vegetable broth and tomato paste, and whisk to combine. Turn the heat to medium-high. Then add the Italian seasoning, and garlic (or garlic powder) and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer.

5. Remove the skin of the roasted chicken breast and shred the meat off of the bones with two forks. Then add the shredded chicken to the soup.

6. Add the spinach, stir until the spinach has wilted, and add the tortellini. Simmer until the tortellini is soft and pillowy and rises to the top, about 5 minutes.

7. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and freshly torn Italian parsley, or a dollop of store-bought pesto is good too.