This is a soup I invented around this time last year. My husband lovingly refers to it as the “Soup of Health” with all of the veggies it has. It really has no specific amounts of ingredients… you can be very flexible! Not only is it healthy, but it is also a wonderful comfort food! The amount mentioned here makes enough to eat off of for a few days.
Start out with a big soup pot. Put in 1 can (I use low-sodium) chicken broth, and then fill up to about half way with water (mind you this is a BIG soup pot). Add in some ground pepper, a bay leaf, a sprinkle of rosemary, and some salt (I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos*).
Bring to a boil and add about 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I put them in whole and shred them later). Cook for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop up about a handful of carrots, 1 sweet onion, and some celery. Add it in whenever you are done with the boiling chicken.
Once the 20 minutes is up, take out the chicken and shred it with forks. Add back to the soup pot with the veggies.
At this point, I like to add about 4 oz of whole wheat organic shell pasta (I use 365 brand from Whole Foods). Cook for as long as it says to on the package – around 15 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, I take a package of frozen chopped (plain) spinach and heat it up in the microwave. After the pasta is done, I add the spinach to the pot too. I think this is what really makes it special! Lastly, I add some diced baby bella mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are tender. Add some parsley. Season to taste with additional salt/Bragg’s Aminos* and pepper. You could also sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top!
I have also tried variations with adding fresh tomatoes, chopped broccoli, anything… it is always delicious!
*What is Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, you ask?
Bragg’s Liquid Aminos is a wonderful lower-sodium salt replacement. It has 320mg of sodium per teaspoon versus over 2,000 for table salt. It’s made from non-GMO soybeans and tastes similar to soy sauce. You can buy it in a spray bottle (great for at the table) or in a big pour bottle. I have found it at Publix and most health food stores. More info here: http://www.bragg.com/products/la.html
Sounds like a fantastic fall soup! And assuming you're using a big pot, you could just as easily use fresh spinach, or even better curly endive or any variety of escarole! Just throw it the pot while your pasta is cooking and it'll wilt down to a fraction of it's fresh size in a matter of a couple minutes.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you wanted to really make it decadent you could whisk two or three eggs with a 3/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan and slowly stir it into the soup at the very end, like in an Italian wedding soup. Hmmm... you have me wanting to make soup tonight...
Thanks, CJ! Actually I did throw in 1/2 lb fresh organic Spinach (from Costco, of course) when I made this soup. I didn't have mushrooms, but I did have leftover beansprouts (mungbeans) from the sandwich I made the other day so I just threw them in there as well and it turned out great!
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