Creamy Chicken Soup with Pasta and Spinach
1 whole rotisserie chicken, cut into chunks
32 oz (or more; depending on how thick/thin you like your soup) low sodium chicken broth
1 large drizzle of olive oil
1 small, chopped onion
1 cup sliced baby carrots (into rounds; about 1/2 a bag)
2 stalks of celery (split in half lengthwise and then sliced into 1/2 moons)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2c. shredded mild cheddar cheese
8 oz (whole brick) Neufatel (low fat) cream cheese
1/2 c. heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups uncooked ditalini pasta
1/2 (16 oz) bag of frozen spinach
Instructions:
- In a large pot, add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and saute in olive oil until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add cooked chicken and continue cooking for 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the broth, heavy cream and cream cheese. Cover and bring to a boil, then cook for 15 minutes.
- Lower the heat, then add pasta and cheddar and simmer until pasta is cooked to your liking (about 10 minutes). Add frozen spinach to the chicken pasta soup toward the end and stir until wilted.
- Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the soup in bowls. You can always add a salad on the side, if you like. Enjoy!
(Adapted from www.eatingwell101.com/creamy-chicken-soup-recipe)
