A hot bowl of good ol' chicken soup is one of the best things on the planet..plain and simple...and I think every cook, chef, mama, nana, auntie, or neighborhood deli, has a "secret" recipe for their chicken soup. Basically, if you got a chicken you got soup. I like to use a roast chicken from the deli (in my case-Costco) because half of the work is done for you and there is less clean up. Plus the beauty of this soup is that you can add or omit any vegetable that you like and you can cut the pieces as small or large as you prefer because it is very forgiving, and the curry powder is not noticeable but it does enhance the flavor of the soup.
Just remember, there is no shame in using a deli chicken, ready-made chicken stock or precut veggies as some would have you believe...it is all good as long as you made it with LOVE.
Chicken Soup to Feed the Soul
1/2 roasted chicken*
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 TBSP butter
1 medium onion, diced finely
2 stalks of celery, small dice
2 carrots, peeled and small dice
1 lb small potatoes, Yukon Gold or red skin, peeled and small dice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp poultry seasoning
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp dried thyme
8 cups chicken stock
1 cup small pasta, such as elbow macaroni, or small egg noodles
2 cups spinach or kale, rinsed if necessary
2 TBSP flat leaf parsley, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Shred the meat (both white and dark) off roasted chicken; discard the skin and set aside.
In a dutch oven, or large stockpot, heat vegetable oil and butter then add onions, celery and carrots. Saute over medium high heat until softened, about 2-3 minutes, then add garlic and potatoes, stirring often, and cook for 4-5 minutes--DO NOT burn garlic. Add paprika, poultry seasoning, curry powder and thyme; stir to mix and add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender.
Remove cover, increase heat to high and bring pot back to a rolling boil. Add pasta, stir to mix, and reduce heat and cover but keep liquid at a low boil for additional 8-10 minutes, or until pasta is cooked and potatoes are tender.
Uncover pot and reduce to a simmer, add spinach (or kale) and chicken and cook another 5 minutes or until chicken is heated through and spinach (or kale) is tender. Remove from heat, add parsley and season with salt and pepper. Makes 6-8 servings.
*You can roast your own chicken, if you prefer, then shred the meat. Allow for additional time to roast chicken.
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