Homemade Chicken and Vegetable Soup
This soup is adapted from Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking, also known as Dr. E's Get-Well Chicken Vegetable Soup. Even if you are not feeling under the weather this soup will perk you right up.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 chicken (3 pounds) boned, skinned, and visible fat removed, breast meat diced, (save the bones and carcass)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 4 bay leaves
- 5 cups assorted chopped fresh vegetables, such as green beans, zucchini, yellow squash,tomatoes,and bell peppers small dice
- 1 1/2 cups torn spinach leaves, cleaned and stemmed
- Pinch crushed red pepper
- 3 quarts chicken stock
- 1 pound assorted small dried pasta shapes, such as stars, tubes, shells, etc.
Directions
In a large sauce pot, heat the olive oil. Season the chicken bones, thighs and wings with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the chicken bones thighs and wings and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the meat and bones are brown. Add the onions, celery, carrots, green onions, garlic, parsley, basil, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables for 6 minutes until the vegetables have wilted. Add the stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, uncovered, for about 40 minutes.
Add the chopped vegetables, spinach, and crushed red pepper and simmer for 15 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken bones to a baking sheet or platter and set aside to cool. Add the chicken breast meat and then add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender and the breast meat is cooked all the way through. Re- season if necessary. Pull all of the meat off the chicken bones, thighs and wings and add it back to the pot. Serve hot. Ladle the soup into thermoses and seal tightly with the lid. Place a spoonful of the parsley into each bag and seal completely. At lunch time, garnish your soup with the parsley.
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