Success or Mess Scratch Soup – Hearty Chicken Soup

This is one of the best chicken soups I’ve tasted. It started with a really great pregnancy resource (The Pregnancy Cookbook – you can learn more about the author and find a book link here http://www.hopericciotti.com/). Of course, I made changes to it over the years to fit my family’s tastes. But, it remains a great go-to soup and it’s perfect when you crave a warm bowl of home cooking.

Hearty Chicken Soup with Greens

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Onion, peeled and chopped or diced

5 Cloves of Garlic, minced or thinly sliced

5 Carrots, peeled and chopped

5 Celery ribs, chopped

1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt

1 Bunch Kale or Collards, rinsed, stems removed, and leaves chopped (you can also use other greens such as dandelion or spinach)

4 Yukon Gold or similar Potatoes, cleaned and chopped about 1/2- to 1-inch pieces

10 Cups Chicken stock

Meat from 1 cooked rotisserie chicken, chopped or pulled how you like (keep in mind that if you pull in small strips, it can cook apart even more when reheated)

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Egg Noodles or other pasta noodles, prepared and set aside

We like to keep the egg noodles or other pasta on the side and add when serving. It keeps the noodles from getting too soggy when you chill and reheat the soup. And there should be enough for leftovers depending on your family’s size.

Directions:

1.    Heat oil over medium in a large soup pot.

2.    Add the onions and sauté about 7 minutes.

3.    Stir in the garlic and let it get fragrant for about a minute.

4.    Add the celery, carrots and salt. Stir, cover and cook about 10 minutes.

5.    Add the greens and potatoes, and stir to mix. Cover and cook about 7 minutes.

6.    Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.

7.    Add chicken, salt and pepper to taste, and simmer with the lid off another 7-10 minutes.

8.    Stir in cooked noodles and simmer a couple minutes before serving. Serve and enjoy!

By the way, our house is coming along. At least the barriers, equipment and crews are gone. We just finished another big part of the project this week. It will be a welcome sight when everything is back in its place and we can relax again – well, as much as we ever do. It’s been a lot of hard work and we’re nearing the home stretch. :)