Soup Week: Creamy Chicken & Spinach Soup
To finish off our Soup Week, guest blogger Dixie Doodle gives us one of her personal favourites:
Spinach. It’s one of my favorite vegetables. I know that its green leafy goodness has gotten a bad rap lately, with the e.coli breakout and all, but let’s forget about that and focus on its good points. Spinach is high in nutritional value. It’s a great source of Vitamins A, C and E, as well and being high in calcium, iron and folic acid. Its nutritional value is highest when it’s fresh, but most folks don’t like the taste of fresh spinach; so when cooking it, the less amount of cook time, the better.It’s a fairly versatile little veggie, having been used in many a different recipe. Quiches, soufflés, salads, sautéed and served on the side of a grilled fish fillet. Whew, I need to stop, I’m making myself hungry! Oh, can’t forget my absolute fave, hot spinach and cheese dip! Mmmm! So, what’s not to love?
At my house there are 5 adults and 2 toddlers to feed. Two of those adults are males and neither of them wants “twig and tree bark” (better known as diet or low-fat) food. Part of the reason this recipe is one of my favorites is that it is a big winner at my house and no one, but me, knows that it is a “diet” dish. I’ve made it three times since I acquired the recipe and it is always gone before everyone gets their fill, so this last time I doubled the recipe. That gave everyone enough, plus I get a bit left over for lunch the next day.
So in honor of Soup Week here at endiet.com, I give you:
Creamy Chicken & Spinach Soup
- 9oz cheese tortellini
- 14.5oz fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 can 98%fat-free cream of chicken soup
- 16oz chopped frozen spinach (thawed)
- 9oz cooked diced chicken breast
- 2 cups skim milk
- 1/2tsp ground thyme
- 1/4tsp black pepper
Cook tortellini according to directions on the package, using the chicken broth instead of water. Do not drain broth once tortellini is cooked. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook until heated through. (just a few minutes) Makes 6 servings at 1 & 1/3 cup.
P.S. The original recipe calls for only 8oz of spinach, but since I do love me some spinach, I have doubled it.
