Creamy and Cheesey Tortellini Soup with Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom

It is Family Day long weekend here in British Columbia, Canada. We are excited since this means an extra day off for my husband. This also gives us a little extra time for spring cleaning just in time for Chinese New Year which occurs on February 19th.

Yesterday was a busy day. For a Saturday, we woke up at 7 am when the little man got up with a stuffed nose that does not seem to be going away. This would have been okay had we not stayed up until 3 am watching a movie.

After a quick breakfast (made by my hubby), I went to Costco to do some grocery shopping and my husband stayed home to potty train our little man. The rest of the day was a blur between cleaning our house, working on the blog, visiting open houses, and before I knew it, it was dinner time.

We were all hungry and wanted something filling. I found a recipe for a creamy tortellini soup that sounded amazing. This is a hearty soup loaded with tortellini, chicken, spinach, mushroom and Parmesan cheese. My husband and I both loved the flavorful broth and this definitely hit the spot after a long day.

Happy Family Day from our family to yours!

Ingredients
3 tbsp butter, divided
1 medium onion, diced
8 large mushrooms, sliced
1 large chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup white wine or broth
8 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
500 g (16 oz) cheese tortellini
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
300 g (10 oz) baby spinach
1/2 cup cream or milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter on medium high.

2. Saute onions until it is translucent.

3. Add in the mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are soft. Set aside.

4. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the same pot.

5. Add in the chicken breast and saute until it is cooked through.

6. Stir in the mushrooms, onions, garlic, thyme, flour and 1/2 cup wine or broth. Whisk until the flour is well incorporated and no longer lumpy.

7. Pour in 8 cups of broth and bring it to a boil.

8. Once it reaches a boil, add in the tortellini and lower the heat to medium. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the tortellini is cooked through.

9. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the Parmesan cheese until it is melted. Then add in the baby spinach and stir it in. Lastly, stir in the 1/2 cup cream or milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Source: Slightly adapted from Closet Cooking