Beth's Special Vegetable Chicken Noodle Soup

Years ago, before the internet was the everyday "go to", I searched and searched for a good chicken noodle soup recipe. You know...the kind of chicken noodle soup that's going to make you feel better when you're sick.

I just couldn't find a good one that I loved,

SO

I made up my own by combining what I felt were the "best bits" of a couple different ones.

SO

this is my own, original recipe!!!

We make huge pots of this every time there's a string of sickness,

and we deliver it to all the sickies. :-)

Chatelaine and I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as our family does!1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast

olive oil

4 large carrots, sliced

1 large onion, diced

4 celery stalks, sliced

2-3 small zucchini, sliced

1 large shallot, finely chopped

salt, pepper & basil to taste

chicken broth *

3/4 cup dry, white wine

2-3 oz. (dry) orzo pasta **

1 - 1 1/2 cups (packed) fresh, baby spinach (optional)

* we prefer to use the 32 oz. packages of chicken broth,

(you'll need 3 for this recipe).

Of course, if you are fortunate enough to be handy at making your own,

and have some on hand, by all means, use THAT!

** you can use ANY miniature pasta, really.

Our pictures show some of the different ones we've used in this soup Start by poaching the chicken.

In a medium sauce pan, pour 1-32oz. pkg of the chicken broth (or use 4 cups of your own). Bring to a boil. Add the chicken breasts. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, then TURN OFF the heat and let chicken poach in broth for about 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the poaching broth (reserve broth). Let the chicken rest/cool on a plate for shredding later.

While the chicken is poaching, start slicing your vegetables! Then, in a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, and saute until they start to soften. Add carrots, celery, zucchini, shallot & seasonings (to taste). Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are nice and soft. Add the broth used to poach the chicken, remaining 2 packages of chicken broth (or 8 cups more of your own), wine and pasta.

Increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil, boiling according to directions on package for the pasta, stirring occassionally. (the boiling not only cooks the pasta, but cooks out the alcohol and concentrates the flavor of the wine....yummy!)

While the pot is boiling, shred your cooled chicken breasts.

Reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Add the shredded chicken, and if you've chose to use the baby spinach, add it now also.

Serve immediately or keep on low heat. I've also transferred it to a crock pot and kept it on the warm setting until ready to serve.

We served ours with garlic toast.

Yummy! Yummy!

Spinach, White Bean & Chicken Sausage Soup

Around our house this afternoon, homework kept the daughter-chef out of the kitchen, so I had to fly solo.

Tonight's recipe is another one we got from Jaime & Jen Dish, and they got it from Closet Cooking, SO we were confident it would be a winner!

We weren't disappointed. Dear Husband said, "This is a KEEPER!" yay!!!

Soup Ingredients

olive oil

1 lb. Italian turkey sausage*, casing removed & crumbled

1 onion**, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

4 cups chicken stock

1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed

1 teaspoon oregano

1 bay leaf

1 bunch spinach, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

* we used Trader Joe's Sweet Italian CHICKEN sausage (simply because I couldn't find turkey)

** we used nearly 1 1/2 - two different types, just for flavor

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in soup pot/kettle on medium-high heat, add sausage & cook until no longer pink.

once the sausage is cooked...set aside.

To bring down the fat content of this dish, we transferred our cooked sausage to a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb the extra grease that drained off the meat.


Heat a fresh Tablespoon of olive oil in the same pan, add the onion & saute it until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic & red chile pepper flakes. Saute another minute.

Add the reserved, cooked sausage, stock, beans, oregano, and bay leaf. Salt & pepper to taste.

Taste! Taste! Taste! at this point, and adjust flavor(s) as needed. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the spinach and simmer until it wilts. Add the lemon juice & remove from heat.

spoon into big soup bowl

Ta-da!!!