Chicken Noodle Soup with Cheese Tortellini

All my Californian loved ones have been texting me all week.  "It's POURING here, how's the weather for you?"  "Being washed away, all the way to Oregon!"  So as we continue to receive Spring showers, our dear friends and family are getting dumped on as well.  Thought we could all use a piping hot bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup.

Scott (Chris' brother) and his wife Carrie came in last night to visit us for the weekend.  What better way to kick off a wet weekend than with a little warm comfort food.


I found a couple great chicken noodle soup recipes, but I wanted mine to be bright and filling.  The Ritter boys also need substance.  And why go noodles, if you can go noodles stuffed with cheese?!  So much better.  Aaaaaaand, I wanted to work our FAVORITE show (yes, maybe over Chopped) into the blog at some point.  Hint: Buitoni.  Read on...

Everybody except the bay leaf.  He was using the spice rack.

2 tbls olive oil

3 carrots

3 stalks of celery

1 onion

4 cloves garlic

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried bay leaf (or 1 whole)

1 large cooked/grilled chicken breast

Approx 2 cups cheese tortellini

8 cups chicken broth (add a little water if you want to thin it out)

1/2 lemon (juice)

Plenty of salt and pepper

Chopped fresh parsley

Chop up your famous three: carrot, celery and onion.

I will sometimes pull off the spines when I'm eating it raw, but when cooking it doesn't matter.  Simply wash and chop.

Do your dice.

Garlic, my one and only.

Medium heat on the pot.  Splash it well with olive oil.  Add the famous three plus the garlic.  Salt them and cook about 7 min.

Add spices.

Two peas in a pod soup.

Now add your broth and bring to a boil.  Add salt and pepper to taste before adding the pasta, that way the pasta will cook into the flavor.  Follow instructions on tortellini package for cooking (mine was about 7 min).

We LOVE Top Chef on Bravo.  Where Padma Lakshmi always reminds the contestants that they are "playing for $200,000 furnished by Buitoni to achieve their culinary dreams."

I was imagining myself at "Judge's Table" about to have my soup critiqued.  Fierce line up.

Carrie and Scott

 Here's who was at my real "Judge's Table."  And Scott had seconds, so I guess I get to keep cooking.

On the other hand (in my Padma voice): "Chris, please pack your knives and go."

OK, back to my own reality show.  Cook the tortellini.  Then fold in the chicken a few minutes out just to warm it.  Chris grilled it for me earlier in the day.

At the very end, top the soup with a heavy squeeze of lemon for brightness.  Always do "the lemon roll" before cutting.  Breaks the juice pods, making it easier for squeezing.

Finish with parsley and a glass of Chardonnay.  Got out a Mad Housewife because after weeks like this one, that's what I feel like.

A flavorful hit.