Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

We added a member to our family. No, not a human this time. A guinea pig! I've always wanted a guinea pig. So when the opportunity came our way, we snatched her up.

Her name is Cookie. I mean, how appropriate.

We all love her. She talks - a lot. I had no idea guinea pigs were so expressive?!? She's a fun little creature. She gets along well with Ari the bunny and she doesn't mind being stalked by Tubby the cat.

Next pet on my list? A mini longhair weiner dog. As in, a dachshund. They're a bit hard to find within reasonable driving distance of central Kentucky. But I'm working on it. Plus, I might as well potty train a puppy while Levi potty trains. Right? Right. So stay tuned.

Okay, enough news about the animals I am collecting and planning to collect. Let's talk about this soup. I was wanting something with Thai flavors - I love cilantro, lime, spice, curry, coconut...Yum. The inspiration for this soup came from Core Life - they have a coconut curry stock that's delicious. Here's what I created and it turned out just like I wanted. I do have to leave the jalapenos only for my bowl because my kids' spice sensitivity isn't quite at my level, but that's fine. This was a hit with everyone!

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

2 T coconut oil
1 onion, diced
10 oz. bag shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 T red curry paste
1 T grated fresh ginger root
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
1 can coconut milk
14 oz. (give or take) Thai rice noodles
3 cups cooked chicken
Juice 1 lime
Chopped Cilantro
1 bunch green onions
Sliced jalapenos

Heat the coconut oil in a large pot and saute the onions, carrot and bell pepper until soft, about 10 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the salt, pepper, curry paste, ginger and garlic and stir well. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the noodles and remove from heat. Cover for 10 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken and lime juice. Serve with cilantro, green onions and jalapenos on top.

Italian Veggie Soup

Happy New Year, friends! I've written a Year in Review post in my head but I've yet to type it out on my keyboard. Someday, people. Someday.

But! In the meantime (while you're waiting with baited breath for the Jones family year in review), would you like to see Baby #5? He's almost 16 months old and he climbs on/in/out of everything. He stands on the kitchen island. And the dining room table. All of the furniture. It's never ending. And he's so cute, it makes us all laugh. Being the baby is a sweet deal.

And on to the actual point of this post. Here's a totally healthy, Paleo, Whole30 Italian Veggie Soup recipe. My sister-in-law texted this to me one night and I made it soon thereafter. It's got flavor, texture and it will warm you up while it's 4 degrees. Like it was today.

I snapped this picture with my phone right before I inhaled this mug of soup for lunch. So don't judge the soup by the sloppy picture. The soup has just the right amount of spice and texture from the veggies and it's sweet from the onions and carrots and the kale is the perfect finish. Parmesan would be a perfect finish, too, if you're not a Paleo person.

Italian Veggie Soup

1 T olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 T Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
15 oz. tomato sauce
15 oz. diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
1 bunch kale, leaves torn into small pieces

Saute the onion, carrots & celery in olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper & red pepper flakes and stir for a minute. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes & stock and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add the torn kale and remove from the heat. Give the kale about 5-10 minutes to wilt a bit and then serve.

Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

So...in January Matthew and I did a Whole30. And that was several months ago. And I'm just now getting around to posting this soup.

It is so good and I made it several times that month. It's a great Whole30 lunch...or any kind of lunch. I adore curry powder...and coconut...but I don't love butternut squash. I think it's a texture thing. It gets mushy. But it's perfect in this soup because it's pureed! The flavors are delicious together.

Also, I use the bags of frozen chopped butternut squash. It makes the soup fast and so easy. This mama ain't got time to slaughter a whole butternut squash. I've done it before and it practically takes an ax chop into that thing. So the frozen variety works great.

Here's how I did it...

Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

1 T coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper (cut back if you like it with less spice)
1 T curry powder
2 one-pound bags of frozen chopped butternut squash (no need to thaw it first)
1 quart chicken stock
1 can coconut milk (I use lite)

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for 8-10 minutes until it starts to soften. Add the salt, pepper & curry and stir it around. Add the butternut squash and stock. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or so until the squash is tender. At this point, I use an immersion blender to make the soup smooth & creamy (but you could use a blender or food processor...just be careful not to overfill the food processor bowl). Add the coconut milk, heat through and taste for seasonings.

Roasted Cauliflower & White Cheddar Soup

Cauliflower is so cool now. I mean, for a vegetable that used to not be the cool kid, it certainly has turned its life around.

Just ask Pinterest. There you can find cauliflower-turned-pizza-crust. Or cauliflower that supposedly tastes exactly like rice! Allegedly.

Well, I made some soup with the vegetable. And it was really good.  I think it was good because I roasted the cauliflower.

I. Love. Roasted. Vegetables.

All of them.  Well, most of them.  Like roasted Brussels sprouts. We're really into those right now.

Anyway, this soup was really good. It doesn't boast any absurd claims, like a chocolate chip cookie made from cauliflower or anything. But that's okay. It just is a soup made with cauliflower, some other veggies, and finished with some half-and-half and cheese. Believe it or not, it was very delicious.

Oh, and I used fat-free half & half.  Whatever the heck that is.

I must say, though…not bad, my friends. Not bad.

Roasted Cauliflower & White Cheddar Soup
Adapted from Cooking Classy

1 head cauliflower
2 T olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 T butter
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped or shredded
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Heaping 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk (I used 1 cup fat-free half-and-half)
10 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded

Break apart the cauliflower into florets, trimming the hard part of the stem off and discarding.  Spread the florets on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast in a 425 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes until it is tender and has some brown edges.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large pot. Add the celery, carrots and onion. Sauté for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently, until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir, cooking for a minute. Add the salt & pepper.  Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stirring often.

Remove from the heat and add the roasted cauliflower, milk & cheddar. Stir to combine and to melt the cheese.

You can puree this soup for a finer texture. I used a hand blender and pulsed just a few times to break up some of the chunks but I didn't want it pureed into a smooth texture. It is also good just the way it is!

Creamy Spring Vegetable Soup

I know I've told you about the Greentree Tea Room.  It's a wonderful Lexington gem.

Lexington has lots of gems, you know.  But this post is about Greentree.  And its amazing soups.

See, when you go to Greentree, they serve one menu for the entire month.  It changes every month.  And every month is equally unique and delicious.

They always start you out with a bowl of soup.  I've had about six of their soups (meaning I've eaten there six different months of the year) and I've loved every single one of them.

The second course is a scone served with some type of fruit curd (April was blueberry curd…there are no words) and Fayette Cream.

You'll just have to make your own reservation at Greentree to find out what Fayette Cream is.

So the last time I had the pleasure of lunching at the Greentree, they sat this bowl of creamy spring vegetable soup in front of me.

It. Was. Divine.

So I came home and tried to make it.  It went pretty well, I'd say.  My family actually loved it.  They've never actually been to the Greentree (my husband wouldn't set foot in the place…totally a girl spot…and my kids are entirely too young.  I go there to get away from my children).  So my family has never had the real thing, but they did love my copycat version.

I was happy with it.  And I'm already planning when I can return to the tea room.  May's a new month with a new menu!  Fortunately, every menu has Fayette Cream on it.

Creamy Spring Vegetable Soup
Copycat recipe from the Greentree Tea Room

3 T butter
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, small-diced
3 T flour
1/2 cup rice
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 cup hari coverts, chopped into bite-sized pieces (tiny green beans; I used Trader Joe's from the freezer)
1 cup corn kernels (I used frozen)
1 cup petite peas (I used frozen)
1 cup heavy cream

Saute the onions and carrots in the butter in a medium pot over medium heat for about 10-12 minutes, until tender.  Sprinkle in the flour and rice and stir around for about a minute.  Add the stock, salt, pepper and turmeric and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25-30 minutes, until the rice is tender.  Add the hari coverts, corn and peas and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add cream.  Stir well and serve immediately.

Beef & Barley Soup

Hi.  I've been absent for awhile.  I wonder on what I should blame my distraction.

Let's see...  Three kids?  With one on the way?  The fact that my oldest is in kindergarten?  The fact that I didn't know that kindergarten was such a big deal?  That I hope for enough snow to cancel school more than my 5-year-old?  (My child loves kindergarten.  And I love her school and teacher.  But school is a whole thing, ya know?  And I'm still adjusting.  Six months in.  I know.)  Or maybe I could blame my distractedness (spell check says that's not a word.  But I'm gonna roll with it.  Computers don't know everything, after all.) on my 9-month-old golden retriever.

He's so sweet.  Just look at that face.  He's also bad.  You wouldn't even believe what he's capable of.

Oh! And I also just read one of the best books eveh.  Unbroken.  Check it out at the library.  Order it from amazon.  Whatever.  Just get your hands on a copy and read it.  You won't be able to put it down.  Promise.

Where was I again?  Oh yeah.  I got distracted from telling you why I'd been distracted.  Um, maybe it's because all of the paint in my entry hall needs to be touched up (read: completely repainted).  Could everyone under 4' tall please KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF THE WALLS!?!  That is asking a lot, I know.

All that to say, I made this soup during December.  Sometime during that month.  It was cold, and I had barley in my pantry.  So I made this soup.  It was delicious.  Very hearty and satisfying.  Totally a guy soup, though I loved it too and my kids even scarfed it down!

It's nice and thick so it's easy for kids to scoop up.  I'm just not into brothy soups.  So if you are, add some more water or broth.  Then be sure to adjust the seasonings.

I adapted this recipe from Southern Lady.  Southern Lady is a great magazine.  It always has yummy recipes in it!

Beef & Barley Soup
Adapted from Southern Lady

2 T olive oil, divided
1 1/2 - 2 lbs beef stew meat, cubed
1 lb carrots, diced
6 stalks celery, diced
2 onions, diced
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
15 oz. diced tomatoes
2 T Worcestershire sauce
6 cups beef stock
2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp pepper
1 T + 1 tsp garlic powder
5 sprigs fresh thyme (you can leave it on the stem and fish the stem out when the soup is done)
1 1/2 cups pearl barley

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat and add the beef.  Brown the meat on all sides and then remove and set aside.

Add onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms.  Cook for 15-20 minutes until beginning to brown, stirring occasionally.  Add the browned meat, garlic, and remaining ingredients EXCEPT FOR THE BARLEY and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce to low and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours (until the meat is fall-apart tender).

Stir in the barley and cook for another 30-35 minutes, until the barley is done.  Remove the thyme stems (the leaves will have fallen off during cooking) and serve.

Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup

I have made this soup for everyone I know that's had a baby in the last month!  It's cold outside; this soup is so warm and creamy and delicious.

And it's nice and thick, so kids can eat it easily.  My kids loved it!

My husband insisted that it needed cheese on top, so he sprinkled some parm on top of his.  For the first time in my life, I didn't feel compelled to add cheese.  It's good both ways!

All you do is saute some veggies in butter, add some flour to thicken it up, stir in some stock and 2 boxes of long-grain & wild rice mix (with the seasoning packets) and cook until the rice is done.  Add in the chicken and half-and-half (this is creamy soup, after all), and it's ready.

The longer it sits, the thicker it gets.

Voila, dinner.  No step-by-step pictures.  I'm doing really well to even make dinner these days.  Fortunately for my family, everyone's having babies right now so I just make double of whatever I'm making for the new baby's family and we get dinner too! My family is glad.

Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup

4 T butter
6 stalks celery, chopped
1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
8 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
2 boxes Rice-a-Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice (with seasoning packets)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used part of a rotisserie chicken)
2 cups half-and-half
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Melt the butter in a large soup pot and saute the celery, carrots and onions for about 10 minutes, until soft. Stir it frequently.  Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute.  Add the salt, pepper, chicken stock and water.  Add the rice and the seasoning packets.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, until rice is cooked through.  Add the chicken and half-and-half and taste for seasonings.  (You may need more salt, believe it not!)  Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

When my husband and I first married, I made stuffed peppers a lot.  They were in our monthly food rotation. We loved stuffed peppers!  (Plus they're cheap.)

I hadn't made them in years, though...so when I ran across this recipe for Stuffed Pepper Soup, I had to try it.

Can I just tell you that we LOVED this soup!  It was delicious.  Very reminiscent of stuffed peppers and very easy to make.  The original recipe said to cook the rice separately.  I thought that sounded like an unnecessary extra step.  So I just cooked the rice right in the soup and it worked perfectly.

My kids really enjoyed this soup.  I made it nice and thick (not too brothy) so it was easy for them to eat.

And of course who doesn't love cheese on top!

Stuffed Pepper Soup
Adapted from The Country Cook

1 lb. ground beef (I used 80/20)
1 onion, chopped
1 large (or 2 small) bell pepper, chopped
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock
1 cup uncooked rice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 T sugar
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

Brown the ground beef with the onion and peppers in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to break up the meat and brown evenly.  Strain the grease and discard.  Return the pot to the heat.  Add the remaining ingredients (except the cheese) and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to simmer, and cook for about 30-40 minutes (stirring occasionally), until the rice is cooked completely.  Taste for seasoning (it may need more salt) and serve with cheese on top.

Minestrone

I didn't know it was still winter!  Alas, it is.  It's snowing.  And so I'm still making soup!

Welcome to my world.

This is the first time I have made minestrone.  It's not something that I would normally order or crave.

BUT.  This minestrone is just delicious.  There are so many flavors!  I loved it.

So many veggies, so much flavor.  I made it thick like I like it and topped it with a sprinkle of parm.  Just like I like it.

Just sauté onions, celery, carrots and garlic in some butter.  Let the veggies go until they're tender.

Now add the thyme, tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, salt and pepper.

Let it simmer for about 30 minutes.

Now stir in the cannellini beans, pasta, spinach and pesto.

I love wilting the spinach in this soup!  It is so much spinach that wilts down to nothing.  It adds a great texture and flavor, too.  I have never added spinach to a soup before but this will not be the last time I do it! I loved it!

And the pesto.  Can we just talk about the pesto for a minute.  SO GOOD, y'all.  So much flavor.  I used the pesto I made and froze while I was in labor with Baby Bear.  That was almost 7 months ago!  The pesto tasted just as delicious as ever.

Minestrone

Adapted from Barefoot

2 T butter
2 onions, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 sprigs fresh thyme (about 2 tsp leaves)
6-7 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
28 oz. can diced tomatoes, not drained
15 oz. cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta (or use any short-cut pasta like orzo, elbow macaroni, etc.), cooked to al dente according to package directions (about 2 cups cooked)
3 T pesto (store-bought or homemade)
10 oz. package fresh baby spinach
Grated parmesan, for serving

Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Sauté the onions, celery, carrots and garlic in the fat for about 10 minutes, until they begin to soften.

Add the thyme, 6 cups of chicken stock, the bay leaf, salt, pepper and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.  Cook for 30 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf.  Add the beans, cooked pasta and pesto.  Stir well.  Add the spinach and use a spoon to push the leaves into the broth.  The leaves will quickly wilt down and incorporate into the soup.  Add the extra cup of chicken stock if you want a thinner soup.

Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan on top.

Black Bean Chili with Turkey Sausage

Another Bunny recipe for you.

Chili...with tons of flavor from black beans and sweet Italian turkey sausage.

This is good and spicy, with tons of flavor...and finished with lime juice and cilantro, which just gives it FLAVOR, people.

So brown the meat with the onion.

And then add seasonings and spices and Dijon mustard...I've never added mustard to chili before, and it gives it a tangy flavor without actually tasting like mustard (my husband doesn't like Dijon but he loves this chili).

Now add the tomatoes, of course.

Simmer it for a little while before you add the black beans, lime juice and cilantro...

And I would have taken a picture of the finished product, but I forgot.  I made this for friends and by the time I made myself a bowl and topped it with cheese and sour cream, I was no longer thinking about this recipe or my blog.

I was only thinking about eating.

Black Bean Chili with Turkey Sausage

2 T olive oil
2 onions, diced
19 oz. (or a pound) sweet Italian turkey sausage (removed from casings)
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
8 oz. can tomato paste
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 T cumin
4 T chili powder
2 T Dijon mustard
1 T salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano
2 T sugar
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups water
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

For serving:
Sour cream
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Avocado, sliced
Fritos or tortilla chips

Heat the oil in a large soup pot and saute the onions for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently.  Add the sausage and ground beef and cook, breaking it up into little pieces with a wooden spoon.  When the meat is cooked, drain off most of the fat and return the pot (with the meat and onions in it) back to the stove.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, cumin, chili powder, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, basil, oregano and sugar.  Stir it well to combine and toast the spices and herbs.  Add the crushed and diced tomatoes with the water.  Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.  Stir in the lime juice, cilantro and black beans.  Heat through and serve with desired toppings.

Chile-Pepper Corn Chowder

Have I told you that I love soup?

I have?  Four times?

Oh.  Shoot.

But the thing is that I really love soup.  Really.

And I really really love soup when you get to add half-and-half and cheese at the end.

You know, the part right before you eat.

So this is a basic chowder recipe, but the flavor is anything but basic.  It's different, it's Southwest-inspired, it's really yummy.

Start with some onions and butter (why are you looking at me like that?) and saute it.

Add the other veggies and saute those in the buttery mixture in your pot.

Add the flour and stir to make a roux.

Now start dumping - the chicken stock, corn, green chiles and chipotles.

Did you know that chipotles are merely smoked jalapenos.  This is true.

Bring it to a boil and cook it for a few minutes.

It will be nice and thick and colorful with all of those veggies!

Now add the half-and-half, cheese, green onions and cilantro.

As my mom would say: it looks pretty!  And pretty food is important.  Although yummy food trumps pretty food.  Just so we're clear.

I have a cilantro addiction.  I can't help but add it to anything that might remotely resemble a Mexican/Southwest dish.  I simply cannot comprehend people who don't also love this tasty herb.  They're missing out, I tell you!

I also have a cheese addiction.

Maybe now isn't the time to start confessing my addictions.

Oh, what the heck.  I'm also addicting to kissing my baby boy.  On the lips.  They're just so cute!  Does anyone know when I will have to stop kissing him on the lips?  When he is potty-trained?  When he goes to preschool?  When he starts middle school?

Welcome to my world.  These are the hard-hitting questions I face every day, folks.

Every day.

Chile-Pepper Corn Chowder

2 T butter
1 onion, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
4 cups chicken stock
1 lb. frozen corn kernels (or about 5 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob)
7 oz. can chopped green chiles
2 chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce, minced
1 cup half-and-half
8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups grated)
4 oz. grated cup pepper Jack cheese (about 1 cup grated)
4 green onions, minced
1 bunch cilantro leaves, minced
Juice of 1 lime

Heat a soup pot and add the butter and onion.  Cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat, until the onion is soft.  Add the bell peppers and garlic.  Cook another 5 minutes.  Sprinkle in the flour, salt, pepper and cumin.  Stir well and cook for a minute.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally to incorporate.  Add the corn, green chiles and chipotles.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and heat through.

Italian Chicken Soup with Tortellini

I love winter.

Except the part where it's cold.

And when it gets dark at like 5:30.

And then I feel like crawling into my bed, under my big fluffy covers, at like 6:15.

Where was I?

Oh.  Right.  What I love about winter.  Let's keep this simple.

1. Holidays.
2. Soup.

And that brings me to this.  Soup.  The cream and fresh herbs added at the end just really make this soup.

It's really wonderful.  I love it when my kitchen smells like an Italian kitchen.  There's just no way to describe the punch of flavor the garlic-and-herb-infused olive oil gives to this soup.

My husband loved it.  And my kids loved it.

Make the most of winter and make some soup.  Only a few more months before the return of cold salads, fresh fruit and flowers.

Italian Chicken Soup with Tortellini

2 T olive oil
2 onions, diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 zucchini, diced
2 T flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
5 cups chicken stock (use more if you like thinner soup)

28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, not drained

3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (about 2-3 cups chopped chicken)
1 cup heavy cream
20 oz. bag cheese tortellini, cooked according to package directions
1/4 c olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 T minced fresh oregano
3 T minced fresh Italian parsley
3 T minced fresh thyme

Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat the oil in a large pot.  Saute the onions, carrots and celery for about 10 minutes.  Add the bell pepper and zucchini.  Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir to incorporate.  Cook for a minute.  Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil.  Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Simmer for about 15 minutes.

While the soup simmers, heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic, oregano, parsley and thyme.  Turn off the heat immediately and stir for a minute while the garlic and herbs sizzle.

To the soup, add the chicken, cream, tortellini and garlic-herb oil.  Stir well, heat through, and serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.