Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini, Spinach and Chicken Soup

Guys, I have such a treat for you today! I have my food contributor Kellee here doing a guest post! It's been a while (since I took last year off) and I'm so excited she's back! She has a delicious looking recipe for you to try out...and in the crock pot no less! Easy and delicious!

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Hello friends!

My name is Kellee and my BFF Kathryn has invited me to share a food post today and you all are in fo a treat yo!

On Sunday I made this soup.  Let us all take a moment of silence in gratitude for the mad scientist chef from 365 Days of Slow Cooking who created this master piece. 

Okay, enough silence.  Let's get chattin' about this recipe!

I am always nervous and excited to try a new recipe.  Will it join the binder with the other holy grail recipes I have discovered or will it be thrown in the recycling bin with me pouting bitterly around the house because I spent $15 on a recipe that "didn't turn out good"? 

I am so happy this turned out wonderful! If you love pasta and tomato soup then you and this recipe are a match made in heaven.

Enjoy and happy cooking, chefs!

Slow Cooker Recipe for Creamy Tortellini, Spinach and Chicken Soup

Recipe slightly adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking

Makes 6-8 servings

1 yellow onion, diced

1/3 c. flour

1 Tbsp dried basil

2 cloves garlic, minced (I used about 2 tsp of the jarred stuff and it was yum)

2-3 Tbsp tomato paste (depending on how much of a tomato flavor your heart desires)

3 Tbsp olive oil

4 c. chicken broth

2 (14.5 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes

1-2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4 c. frozen cheese tortellini

3 c. packed spinach (next time I would DEFINITELY chop up the spinach.  It was hard to eat whole.)

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

1 c. heavy cream or half and half

In microwave safe bowl add onions, flour, basil, garlic, and tomato paste.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Microwave 4 1/2 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds.  The mixture may look a little lumpy and weird.  That's what we want! Add this to the slow cooker.

Add broth, tomatoes, chicken, salt and pepper to slow cooker.  Stir.  Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours or on high 3-4 hours (or until chicken is fully cooked and tender).

Add tortellini, spinach, parmesan cheese and warmed cream (I microwaved my half and half for 50 seconds or so.  If you don't warm before you add this in it could curdle!). 

Take chicken out and shred (I shred my chicken using a hand mixer.  It's AWESOME!!! You get it finally shredded and takes all of 10 seconds to do).  Add chicken back into the slow cooker.  Cook on high another 10-15 minutes or until the tortellini are fully cooked.  

Ladle into bowls.  You will need to definitely salt and pepper your own individual servings as it is a little bland without it.  This also may have been caused because I used the low sodium chicken broth.  But once you add the salt and pepper? BAM! Makes all the difference.  We served ours with extra shredded parmesan cheese which was delicious.