Italian Chicken Soup

 

I love soup and I am so glad the weather has cooled down enough to enjoy soup for dinner.  Tonight I needed an easy soup that I could throw in the slow cooker.  Sadly I just threw some traditional chicken soup ingredients and tomatoes in the crock pot and truly enjoyed the result!

This soup serves 6 easily.

2 Cups Water
1 14oz Can of Petite Diced Tomatoes
4 Cups Chicken Broth or Stock
2-3 Carrots, peeled and sliced
2-3 Stalks of Celery, sliced
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
2 Tbsps Tomato Paste
1/2 lb Pasta, any kind (I love Filini)
Grated Parmesan Locatelli Cheese, for topping (optional)

Place all ingredients except tomato paste and pasta in the slow cooker on low for 6 hours.  With about an hour remaining, stir in the tomato paste and shred the chicken with forks.  Cook the pasta to al dente, drain and add to the pasta just before serving.  Serve with salt and pepper and cheese to taste.

Ricotta Dumplings

This is not a super quick recipe.  It requires a little bit of time, which is why this was our Sunday night dinner.  The dumplings are surprisingly light, but the meal is hearty.  I served mine with some wonderful crusty Italian bread to soak up all the extra gravy (or sauce to non-Italians).  I also added mushrooms to mine because I have daughter who is a true mushroom lover.

This recipe serves about 4 or 5 people.

10oz Box of Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and drained
1 3/4 Cups of Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/3 Cup Flour (plus additional flour for coating)
2 Eggs
Black Pepper
Pasta Gravy (recipe to follow)

Bring a pot of salted water to boil, while preparing the dumplings.

Combine all ingredients except for the gravy in a mixing bowl using a fork.  Make sure the mixture is well blended.  Place some flour on a plate (about 1/4 cup).  Drop heaping teaspoons of the mixture on the plate and gently roll in the flour to coat.  Move coated dumpling to another plate.  After rolling the entire mixture you should have about 20-25 dumplings.

Very gently drop the dumplings into the boiling water.  Do not stir.  Let the dumplings cook for about 5 minutes and they will float to the top when they are done.  Using a slotted spoon, gently remove the dumplings from the water (as they finish) and place directly into the pasta gravy.

Pasta Gravy

In slow cooker, combine all the following:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Pinch Crushed Red Pepper
1 Small Onion, diced
1 28oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 6oz Can Tomato Paste
Fresh Basil

Cook on low for 3-4 hours, stir once and awhile.