#2,673: Crock Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup

This is another recipe that I made this recipe right after I had my gallbladder surgery because it took such little time to throw together in the crockpot.  You basically cook the veggies and broth (and chicken if you're using it) and then add in the tortellini at the very end.  As you can see in the original recipe below, you are supposed to cook (and shred) chicken into this soup.  That had no appeal to me whatsoever, so I decided to omit it and use chicken tortellini instead.  I still got the chicken flavor, but didn't have chicken pieces floating throughout my soup.  Although I really enjoyed this healthy, easy soup, next time I will make one change.  I'll cook the tortellini in a pot on the stove, let it cool, and then add it to my soup so it stops cooking and soaking up so much liquid. 

If you are making this an plan to serve/eat it all in one sitting, you definitely don't have to do that.  But since I was the only one eating this, and eating it as leftovers, the tortellini got a little soft (still good, but not as good as it could have been). 

3 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced

3 celery stalks, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 cups shredded chicken 

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

salt and pepper, to taste

16 ounces three-cheese tortellini (I used refrigerated chicken flavored tortellini)

fresh parsley, to garnish (optional)

Place the carrots, celery, garlic, onion, chicken, chicken stock, basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary into a 6-quart slow cooker. Mix until combined.

Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Place the three-cheese tortellini into the soup and mix. Cook on high for another 15 minutes.

Serve and garnish with parsley.