Chicken & Broccoli Rabe Soup with Tortellini

Name: Chicken & Broccoli Rabe Soup with Tortellini
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 10 servings (3-1/4 quarts).
Ingredients: 1 pound broccoli rabe; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/4 pound diced pancetta or 4 bacon strips, chopped; 1 large onion, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 cartons (32 ounces each) chicken stock; 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce; 3 fresh thyme sprigs; 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley; 1 bay leaf; 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, shredded; 1 package (19 ounces) frozen cheese tortellini; Additional grated Parmesan cheese

With chicken, pasta and a bold tomato broth, this hearty and inviting soup is like a big, comforting hug in a bowl! —Cynthia Gerken, Naples, Florida

Ingredients

1 pound broccoli rabe
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound diced pancetta or 4 bacon strips, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cartons (32 ounces each) chicken stock
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
3 fresh thyme sprigs
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, shredded
1 package (19 ounces) frozen cheese tortellini
Additional grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Fill a Dutch oven two-thirds full with water; bring to a boil. Cut 1/2 in. off ends of broccoli rabe; trim woody stems. Coarsely chop stems and leaves; add to boiling water. Cook, uncovered, just until crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes. Drain and remove from pan; sprinkle with nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
In same Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pancetta; cook until brown and crisp, 4-5 minutes. Add onion and remaining pepper; cook until tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add next six ingredients and broccoli rabe; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions; drain.
Discard bay leaf and thyme sprigs from soup. Add chicken to soup; heat through. To serve, spoon tortellini into individual bowls; pour soup into bowls. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan.

Test Kitchen tips

To mix it up, try Thai-flavored chicken broth in place of some or all of the chicken stock.

Extra protein from the cheese tortellini makes this version of chicken noodle soup a real filler-upper. It's a meal on its own.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/3 cups: 328 calories, 13g fat (4g saturated fat), 72mg cholesterol, 1058mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 3g fiber), 28g protein.

Reviews

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Average Rating:

curlylis85

Nov 20, 2017

This soup was amazing! The combination of chicken and bacon along with the tomatoes and seasonings has so much flavor. I couldn't find any broccoli rabe so I substituted thinly sliced kale. I added that at the end and put the nutmeg in with the thyme and parsley.
Remenec

Oct 10, 2017

This soup has such a nice depth of flavor! I loved the spicy addition of nutmeg to the broth. In place of cheese tortellini, I used sweet Italian sausage stuffed tortellini. The bacon took awhile to crisp in my dutch oven, so I browned it in a separate pan. This dish is a bit time consuming, but the taste is amazing!