A while back I made this Tortellini en Brodo soup, which is not only one of my favorites, but also a favorite of my mothers. I could seriously eat that soup at least once a week for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. Yes. It's that good.
With spring in full swing and with fresh basil and pesto all around... I wanted to use the same basic idea from my Tortellini en Brodo in a more spring/summer friendly version of the soup.
Since my grandma managed to catch a cold that we have been passing around the house, and it was a bit gloomy this morning, I figured it would be a perfect day for some chicken soup.
Of course by the time we were done eating... the sun was burning brightly outside and the idle threat of rain had escaped us. Oh, well!
This soup is really easy to toss together, and while the process might look daunting, it really isn't! I'd say from start to finish, it comes together in about 30 minutes or less.
Especially if you have the chicken already cooked up.
I cooked my chicken on my handy countertop grill with a little bit of pesto brushed over the top. But, any sort of cooked chicken would work just fine!
Pesto & Chicken Tortellini Soup
TheSkinnyFork.com
The Skinny:
Servings: 8 • Size: About 1 1/2 Cup • Calories: 311.2 • Fat: 10.2 g • Carb: 33.3 g • Fiber: 5.5 g • Protein: 21.3 g • Sugar: 3.7 g • Sodium: 912.3 mg
Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp. Light Butter
1 Small Yellow Onion (1 C.), Chopped
8 C. Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
2 C. Water
2 Tbsp. Skinny Pesto
1 Italian Cheese Rind (Optional, but delicious!)
18 Oz. Whole Wheat Cheese Tortellini (I used Buitoni.)
8 Oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cooked or Grilled & Chopped
Salt & Pepper to Taste
2 C. Fresh Baby Spinach
Fresh Grated Italian Cheese (Parmesan/Grana Padano.)
Directions:
Melt the butter over medium or medium-high heat in a large pot and add in the onion.
Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are becoming tender.
Once the onions are softened, add in the chicken broth, water, pesto and cheese rind (if using one.)
Increase the heat for medium-high and bring the soup to a boil.
When the soup reaches a boil, reduce heat back to low and add in the tortellini.
Season with salt & pepper to taste. Set to simmer and cook until al dente.
Once done, remove the cheese rind and add in the chicken and the spinach.
Stir to combine and allow the spinach to wilt slightly.
Garnish with cheese and serve right away!
topped mine with just a little bit more pesto too.
