(Quick) Chicken Bacon Rice Soup

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz of cheese tortellini

4 tablespoons butter (salted/unsalted either will work)

2 ½ cups mirepoix mix (a combination of chopped onions, carrots, and celery)

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup all purpose flour

3 ½ cups milk (see notes)

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced

2 cups packed baby spinach, roughly chopped

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon nutmeg (see notes)

parsley, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare the tortellini according to directions listed on the package. (Note: you want the tortellini to finish cooking about the same time that the soup is finished cooking).
In a large pot over medium high heat melt the butter and sauté the mirepoix mix for 6-8 minutes or until the onions start to turn translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until it’s fragrant.
Add the flour and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the flour is completely mixed in and starts to just barely become a light golden color. Add the milk in a steady stream while you stir. This is helps loosen up the flour mixture. Add the chicken broth. Allow soup to come to a boil, keep stirring as necessary so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken, carrots, tortellini, baby spinach, along with the thyme and nutmeg and stir. Let everything come back to a simmer before turning the stove off. You want to serve this immediately so that the tortellini doesn’t soak up all the liquid. Top with parsley and serve with crusty bread if desired.

NOTES:

You can replace ¼ – 1 cup of the milk with half and half or heavy cream to make this a more decadent soup. The original recipe (posted Oct 3, 2014) called for ½ cup of half and half.
To make this soup with the original recipe use: 3 cups milk + ½ cup half and half + ½ teaspoon nutmeg. Everything else remains the same.
If you’re anticipating leftovers, you may want to keep the tortellini separate and just add it into your soup bowl. This will keep it from soaking up all the soup when refrigerated. Also, you may need additional milk/broth when reheating.