Chicken Soup

The first time I officially catered a party...and got paid to do it, I came home with TONS of left over chicken parts and an entire Ziploc gallon bag of veggies (squash, zucchini, green beans) The next day was one of those cold rainy winter days where leaving the house seems like a very bad idea. With all this leftover chicken and veggies I'd decided to make some soup and share some with my neighbor above me. A few weeks prior he'd stopped me on my way out to work to apologize about all the noise he'd created that morning, (around 5am I heard tons of footsteps and what sounded like dropping heavy objects). He explained to me that his mother had just been diagnosed with cancer and was moving in with him. Half way through cooking this my power went out...for five hours! So I finished the soup by candlelight and my neighbor was very grateful not to have to attempt to cook in the dark. (thank goodness for my gas stove)

This is truly one of those recipes where I just through some stuff in the pot, tasted, added some more stuff etc.

Find the biggest pot you have, if you're going to make this it's worth making a lot at one time and you can freeze the base (the broth, chicken, spices) and add veggies and stuff later.


Start by sauteing (sauteing is when you cook something quickly at a high heat for a short period of time...sweating is when you cook something at a low heat for a long period of time) a finely diced onion and one or two carrots in a little olive oil. I used one clove of minced garlic which I added to the onions after they became clear (you can omit the garlic if you'd like). Then I added the chicken (cubed and skin removed) and let it saute just for a minute or so. After which add enough broth to completely cover the chicken with about 3 inches of broth sitting on top of it. (this will vary on your pot, and the amount your making but you get the idea).

If you want to freeze some of this, this is the point where you stop.

I then add a couple of herbs, whole thyme, a bay leaf, what ever you'd like. I let the broth and chicken simmer for a while so that the flavors can develop...about 30-60 min. No real time frame here. When you're ready you can add the rest of the veggies...squash, zucchini, green beans, really anything you have lying around. This is also the point where you can add pasta or couscous. I personally prefer to use an Israeli couscous mix that I get at Trader Joe's that has other grains in it as well. I like to add veggies and pasta right before I plan to serve because I like them to still have texture. Before serving remove the thyme and bay leaf. Salt and Pepper to taste.

If you add the veggies and pasta prior to freezing it, when they thaw everything will be rather mushy.

You can mix things up a bit and add a can of diced tomatoes and finish the dish off with some Parmesan cheese for an Italian twist.

I always use homemade broth when I'm making soup, there's a BIG difference in flavor. However if you're going to buy broth I recommend Swanson's All Natural Organic low sodium chicken broth. (yes the all natural organic tastes different...seriously)