Veggie loaded Chicken soup

"a hearty, steaming mug of chicken soup..."

... makes me want to curl up and enjoy a good book, or a nap. It's therapy for a cold. It's perfect for hot meal cravings. It's a wonderful recipe staple for your warm kitchen. Chicken broth- its the little black dress of cooking. And when made fresh, you infuse flavor into any number of dishes. I adore this multi-functional soup for multiple reasons: it's classic comfort food, it's filling, it's cheap, it's deliciously flavorful, and it's absolutely loaded with nourishing veggies.

The cast of characters...

Basic ingredients:

Rotisserie chicken leftovers

1 quart water

salt and pepper to taste

bay leaves

celery, chopped

carrots, chopped

Helpful suggestions:

Rosemary sprigs

garlic powder or minced garlic

oregano

basil

rice, noodles, grains, potatoes, or *beans

vegetables such as:

onions

bell pepper

corn

okra

peas

edamame (soybeans)

green beans

mushrooms

broccoli**

chopped spinach***

1. Put your chicken leftovers in a large pot and cover with water. Add salt and pepper and bay

leaves. Boil for at least 20 minutes for a lovely broth.

2. Using a slotted spoon, ladle and strain out chicken bits, and put on a cutting board to cool.

3. While chicken cools, add rice, noodles, potatoes, or beans, and all vegetables except spinach, if using. Season and spice to preference.

(as you can see from the heaps of veggies on my cutting board, you can pile a substantial amount of goodness into that pot)

4. With clean fingers, separate cooled chicken bits from skin, bones, and bits. Add chicken pieces back to soup, discard refuse.

Serve in a big mug or soup bowl with a hearty piece of bread. Pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for getting your family to eat their veggies.

* If adding dry beans, be sure to soak them overnight beforehand.

** Broccoli should wind up steamed but not mushy.

*** If using spinach, add before serving and watch. Spinach wilts quickly, and if cooked too long, becomes grey and lifeless.

Notes from the kitchen:

• This soup transforms into healthy, hearty, chicken pot pie when you use celery, carrots, onion, peas/greenbeans, 1% milk, and 1/2 cup wheat flour sifted into the broth. While soup is boiling, prepare a whole wheat drop biscuit mix. Drop spoonfuls of biscuit right on top of soup, and bake in the oven till golden brown. So easy!
• No rotisserie chicken? Use the leftovers from when you order wings for take out- it'll have a delicious spice added to it from the wing sauce. And don't throw away that uneaten celery!
• No time to cook? Do it in a crock pot and its ready when you get home!