Chicken Tortellini

Tis' the season to snuggle up and enjoy a steaming bowl of soup.  This is a recipe I have made for years, I got it from the noon news and it was a keeper.  Enjoy!

Chicken Tortellini Soup

(serves 8-10)

6 cups water

3 cups chicken broth

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

2 cups diced chicken

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced carrots

2 tbsp. apple juice concentrate

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. oregano

7 oz. fresh cheese tortellini

9 oz. broccoli

Combine everything but tortellini and broccoli.  Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.  Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer 10-15 minutes.  Serve with parmesan cheese.

Tips:  I used dried pasta and get good results.  Also, check out my chicken soup mix recipe for a healthy, inexpensive substitute for the can of soup.  You can even skip the step of cooking it!  Don't forget some warm french bread too!

Zuppa Toscana

Back in college I worked in the cafeteria and had many adventures there.  I started off washing dishes, then food runner and finally doing salad prep.  As a part of the salad prep, I washed lots and lots of kale.  It was used as decoration to cover all the ice.  I couldn't imagine ever eating it, just admiring the color on the salad bar.

Imagine my surprise when I tried Zuppa Toscana for the first time and learned that it had kale in it!  I was really yummy and my family loved it.  It is now our favorite cold weather meal.  It is fast and easy.  

Now you can try it too, just in time for the fall weather!

Zuppa Toscana

1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage

1 large onion, diced

2 tsp. minced garlic

12 cups water

6 tsp. chicken bouillon 

1 pound diced potatoes

1 cup milk

1 bunch kale, chopped

Saute sausage, onion and garlic until the sausage cooked and onion is tender.  Drain fat, if any.  Add water and bouillon.  Bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and cook until soft (approximately 30 minutes).  Add milk and heat through.  Add kale just before serving.

Notes:  You can use pork sausage and cream instead of milk for the full fat version.  I also do not peel the potatoes, I like the added color and texture.  Olive Garden serves it with Parmesan cheese, it adds some extra flavor. 

Cream of Chicken Soup mix

How many recipes do you have that uses condensed cream of something soup?  It seems like every casserole uses it and so I bet it is a staple of your pantry.  Shortly after we moved to this house, a sister at church shared this recipe to make your own.  So I tried it the next time I needed some and my family thought it tasted a lot better.  I was sold!  Now we're saving lots of money and eating healthier.

Cream of Chicken Soup Mix (equivalent to 8 cans)

2 cups nonfat dry milk

3/4 cup cornstarch

2 tbsp. dried onion

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 cup chicken bouillon 

Mix thoroughly and store in air tight container.

To use:

Stovetop:  Mix 1/3 cup mix and 1 1/4 cup cold water in small saucepan.  Stir constantly over low heat until thickened.  Use as equivalent to one can of condensed soup.

Microwave:  Mix 1/3 cup mix and 1 1/4 cup cold water in medium bowl.  Heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring several times.  Use as equivalent to one can of condensed soup.