Crock Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup



     Today is the first day in October that it's been below 85 degrees.   (Insert mental image of me doing a happy dance here). 

     Unfortunately, I've been home with a sick kiddo all day.  I hate it when my kids are sick.  I just want  to do everything I can to help them feel better.  So in classic Mom tradition, I'm making homemade chicken soup for dinner.  

     Chicken soup has been dubbed the "Jewish penicillin" and used medicinally for centuries.  Scientists remain uncertain whether the medicinal qualities of soup come from its steaming temperature or the compounds created by simmering veggies in broth.  But Moms instinctively know that a cup of steaming chicken soup is the closest thing to love in a bowl that we can offer to a sick child.

 Here's one of my favorite soup recipes.  The stock simmers all day in the crockpot and the soup quickly comes together right before you're ready to eat.  Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup



Ingredients:

2 boxes (32 ounces) chicken broth
3-4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
1 onion, divided
4 stalks of celery, divided
12 baby carrots, divided
6 mushrooms, divided
1 bay leaf
3 whole cloves garlic
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1 can condensed Cream of Mushroom soup, undiluted
1 package frozen cheese tortellini

To Make Soup Stock:

Put chicken broth and chicken breasts into crock pot.

Dice half of the onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms into bite sized pieces and set aside for later.

 

 



(Tip:  If you slice into an onion and are nearly blinded with tears, immediately rinse the offending onion and knife in cold water.  I'm pretty sure that this particular onion was sent by Summer to assassinate me for that "When Summer Won't Die" post I did a few days ago.)

Cut the other half of the onion into 4 large chunks and place in slow cooker.  Cut the two remaining celery stalks in half and put in slow cooker with 6 baby carrots, 3 whole garlic cloves and 3 whole mushrooms.   Add all to slow cooker and turn on low.  Season with bay leaf, Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper.

  

 

(Tip:  Don't be afraid to use the leaves on your celery stalk in the broth.  They're full of delicious flavor.)

Let broth, chicken and vegetable simmer on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is fully cooked. 

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from slow cooker and dice into bite-sized pieces.  Refrigerate until later.

Let broth continue to simmer. 

(Tip:  The longer you let the broth and vegetables simmer in the crock pot, the more flavorful your stock will be.)

To Finish Soup:

About an hour before you're ready to eat, skim large chunk vegetables, garlic and bay leaf out of broth.  Discard. 

Turn slow cooker up to high and add cream of mushroom soup, white wine, and diced onion, celery carrots and mushrooms.  Cook on high for 40 minutes. 

Next, add package of tortellini and diced chicken to soup.  Cook for about 30 minutes or until tortellini is al dente.

Serve with garlic break or fresh baked rolls.

(Tip:  I'm a big fan of Rhodes frozen rolls.  Just take them out of the freezer, let them sit for 3-5 hours, pop them in the oven and voila . . . fresh baked rolls).

    
And there you have it!  Hearty and healing chicken soup. 

What foods do you want when you're feeling under the weather?  Let us know in the comment section below.  Come back tomorrow for Day 15 in our 31 Days of Fall series.