365 Days of Slow + Pressure Cooking: Creamy Tortellini, Spinach, and Chicken Soup (a.k.a. "The Soup")

This soup is literally everywhere lately, so I figured it was about time for me to jump right in and make this bad boy in all its glorious creaminess.  It really is a pretty fantastic slow cooker dish, which are normally kinda blah and boring, and it makes enough for a small army, so you'll have plenty to eat in the days to come.  This would be especially fantastic if the weather is particularly frigid.  Easy and warm.

Note: Full disclosure - I did not make the paste the way it says in the recipe, because it sounds...unappealing.  I got out my skillet, heated the olive oil, sautéed the onions until translucent, added in the garlic, cooked another 30 seconds or so, added the dried herbs, salt, and pepper, added the tomato paste and let it sauté for about a minute or so, just to amp up the flavor, then sprinkled everything with the flour and let it cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently, to cook out the raw taste.  Dumped it in the slow cooker.  I'm not sure how the steps below save time or dishes (bowl vs. skillet?) while sacrificing flavor, but I left the instructions as is in case someone reading doesn't have a stovetop.

Creamy Tortellini, Spinach, and Chicken Soup (a.k.a. "The Soup")
From 365 Days of Slow + Pressure Cooking blog

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth
2 (14½-ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes

1 to 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

4 cups cheese tortellini (either frozen or fresh)
3 or more cups packed fresh baby spinach
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream, warmed

In a microwave-safe bowl add the onions, flour, basil, garlic, tomato paste and drizzle with olive oil. Microwave for 5 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds or so. (The mixture will be pasty and look weird but don’t worry it will all be okay in the end). Add the mixture to the slow cooker.

Add broth, tomatoes, chicken, salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours (or until chicken is very tender).

Remove the lid use a fork to remove the chicken out of the slow cooker. And add in tortellini, spinach, Parmesan cheese, and warmed cream (cream should be warmed because it may cause curdling if added in cold).

On a cutting board, shred or cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker. Put the lid back on and cook on HIGH for about 10 more minutes, or until the tortellini are cooked through. Ladle into serving bowls and enjoy!

Makes 8 servings