Cheesy Chicken Tortellini Soup (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Main Components

01 - 2 1/2 pounds chicken breasts with skin and bones intact
02 - 1 package (20 oz) fresh cheese tortellini from the refrigerated section
03 - 1 package (5 oz) baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped up

→ Aromatics and Tomatoes

04 - 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion (from 1 big onion)
05 - 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic (roughly 2 cloves)
06 - 2/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, plus 1 tablespoon of their oil
07 - 1 can (6 oz) concentrated tomato paste

→ Dairy and Cheese

08 - 1 cup heavy cream for whipping
09 - 6 ounces shredded Havarti cheese (makes about 1 1/2 cups)
10 - 4 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups worth)

→ Liquids and Seasonings

11 - 8 cups broth made from chicken
12 - 2 teaspoons blend of Italian herbs
13 - 2 teaspoons paprika with smoky flavor
14 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt, split into portions
15 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
16 - 1 tablespoon juice squeezed from fresh lemon

# Instructions:

01 - Warm up the oil from sun-dried tomatoes in a big skillet over medium-high flame. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, then cook until golden for around 3 minutes on each side. Move it to your slow cooker
02 - Using the same pan, brown the onion for about 5 minutes. Toss in garlic and let it cook 2 minutes more. Mix in tomato paste and keep cooking 2-3 minutes till you can smell its richness
03 - Pour 1 cup broth into the skillet, scraping all the tasty bits stuck to the bottom. Pour everything into the slow cooker along with the rest of the broth, herbs, and leftover salt
04 - Put the lid on and let it cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours until chicken's fully done. Take out the chicken, let it cool a bit, then pull it apart, throwing away skin and bones
05 - Drop in tortellini, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes. Switch to HIGH if you weren't already and cook another 10 minutes until pasta gets soft. Mix in the lemon juice
06 - Stir in the cream and slowly add all the cheeses until they've melted away. Put the shredded chicken back in and add more salt or pepper if needed

# Notes:

01 - When chicken seems stuck while flipping, just wait another minute or two until it comes off easily
02 - Don't add the cream and cheese until your tortellini is soft or your dairy might curdle

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