Chicken Vegetable Soup

You all must know by now about my devotion to the first GF cookbook I bought, "Life Tastes Good Again" by Kirsti Kirkland and Betsy Thomas, two local girls who saved my life. However, I don’t believe I’ve ever posted my favorite soup recipe from their cookbook! Shame on me!

So, it’s chicken vegetable soup, and I seem to make it differently almost every time I make it. The page is covered with little notes that I’ve made, variations, suggestions, etc.

I love this recipe, and surprisingly, so does my husband. It was one of those meals I was sure he’d shun, seeing so much green, but he ate it up. Granted, he soaked grilled cheese sandwiches in it...but hey, he got his freaking vegetables!

So, to share with the world, here is my favorite adaptation of this recipe:

Chicken Vegetable Soup

1 chicken breast (cubed)
1 large onion/1 tbsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, pressed (I use my zester for this)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large carrots
2 small celery stalks
(the recipe calls for a parsnip, but I’ve never had one on hand to try)
1 (14 oz) can green beans, drained
2 small potatoes (I don’t eat potatoes, so I usually sub 1 c dry quinoa/rice and an extra cup water)
¼ head cabbage/bok choy (and/or leafy greens like spinach or kale)
½ tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
6 c chicken broth (or half broth/half water)
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

Chop all the veggies. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and sauté for a few minutes. Add onion, garlic and additional oil, if desired. Cook another couple minutes. Remove chicken. Add all the veggies and sauté for a minute or two. Add seasonings and stir. Add chicken broth and tomatoes.
Bring to a boil, allow to simmer for at least 20 minutes, until veggies are softened. Add the chicken and cook for 5-10 minutes more. Remove from heat.
If using potatoes, you can mash some of them to thicken the soup. I will throw half of the soup into my Vita-mix and puree it, then mix it back into the pot. Stir, then serve.

This makes somewhere between 5-8 servings, depending on how much you’re eating, and whether it’s main dishing it, or taking back seat to some grilled cheese sandwiches.