Ingredients

The following ingredients have 8 Servings
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion (diced)
  • 4 ounces baby carrots (halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size cubes)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 9 ounces cheese tortellini (frozen or fresh)
  • 2 cups freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 ounces fresh baby spinach

Instruction

  • Warm a large pot over medium-high heat. Once you can feel the heat when you hold your hand 6 inches above the pot, add the butter and let it melt. Add the onion and carrots. Cook the vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Then add the chicken, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook for 3 minutes, just to get a little color on the chicken, stirring occasionally. Don’t worry about the chicken being cooked through, because we are going to continue cooking it.
  • Sprinkle the flour over the chicken and veggies. Stir to coat everything and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes to cook out the floury taste. Stir in the chicken stock, half-and-half and red pepper flakes. Continue cooking until the soup thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Add the tortellini to the pot and cook until al dente (has a bite to it), 5 to 7 minutes (frozen takes longer). Remove the pot from the heat. Sprinkle a handful of cheese over the soup and stir. Once it has melted into the soup, add another handful. Slowly melting the cheese will give the soup a smooth consistency. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary. Pour into bowls and garnish with the spinach.