Mmmm… Tortellini! I just love a recipe that uses tortellini, don’t you? This soup is hearty and delicious with chicken, tomatoes, spinach, and tortellini.

To Parmesan, or not to Parmesan

I have made this recipe twice now.

The first time I used grated Parmesan, vegetable broth and left out the chicken.

The second time I used shaved Parmesan cheese, Rotisserie chicken and chicken broth.

I thought the added chicken and shaved Parmesan tasted better, but I realize that most people already have grated Parmesan in their kitchen. I included measurements for both kinds of Parmesan, in an effort to simplify. You could also leave the Parmesan cheese out all together and this soup would still taste great. In fact, the Parmesan cheese is what bumps this recipe up to 7 SP per serving, so if you leave it off one (1-1/3 cup) serving is just 6 smart points.

There are a few other things you could do to change up this recipe.

Variations of this recipe:

Bulk up this soup more by adding some extra spinach, or consider adding other vegetables, like zucchini, mushrooms, onions, or carrots. If including other vegetables add them to the pot when you are cooking the garlic (the first step) and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes.

To make this a vegetarian recipe you can simply omit the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. I have also eaten it this way and it was still delicious.

Here is what you need:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup cooked chopped or shredded chicken (I just used Rotisserie chicken)
4 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
9 oz. frozen or refrigerated cheese tortellini
4 cups fresh spinach
1/8 tsp. Pepper
6 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese or 6 Tbsp. shaved Parmesan cheese

Here is what you do:

In a large stockpot, heat oil. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute.

Add chicken and cook for and additional 1-2 minutes. (or until chicken is cooked if you are using uncooked chicken)

Add broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

Add tortellini and cook 3-4 minutes or until the tortellini begins to fluff up and soften.

Stir in spinach and pepper. Cook until spinach is wilted.

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon shaved Parmesan cheese or 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Makes 6 (1-1/3 cup) servings. One serving is 4 Green, 4 Blue, and 4 Purple Points.