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Pat's Scrumptious Chicken and Vegetable Soup
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This wonderfully satisfying soup, an adaptation of my friend Pat's family
recipe from Northern Mexico, combines the flavors of chicken, corn, potatoes and
other favorite, colorful vegetables. It's a perfect way to use vegetables that
you have frozen from last summer's garden, or take advantage of economical
flash-frozen veggies from the supermarket. I often make a very big pot and then
freeze some in individual servings to reheat happily for lunch on work days.
Truly a "meal in a bowl".
 Don't
be afraid of using all the garlic and bay leaves this recipe calls for. It seems
like a lot, but these seasonings plus the corn and potatoes are what make the
soup savory and delicious.
One large deep soup pot
2 large onions cut in large chunks
10 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into quarters
8 bay leaves
4 to 5 large carrots, peeled, cut in 1-inch slices
5 medium to large boiling potatoes, chopped in 1-inch cubes.
1 nice, plump, 3 1/2- to 5-pound chicken, washed, with liver and excess fat
removed
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 Jalapeño chile, cut in quarters or one dried medium hot chile of your choice
1 sixteen- to twenty-ounce bag of frozen corn kernels
1 sixteen-ounce bag of frozen sliced green beans
1 sixteen-ounce bag of frozen garden peas
1 cup of chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
Put the onions, garlic, bay leaf, carrots, potatoes, whole chicken, salt and
pepper and chile into a large deep soup pot in the order given. Add enough water
to just cover the chicken. Bring the pot to a boil, then return to a simmer and
continue to cook until the chicken is completely done and the drumstick pulls
away easily. This usually takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on your stove.
Remove the pot from the stove, and take the chicken out of the soup. Cool
slightly, then take off the skin and meat. Chop all the meat into bite-size
pieces. Skim off excess fat from soup. Add the chicken back to the soup. Bring
back to a boil then add the frozen corn, green beans and peas. Stir well and
return pot to a boil. Lower heat and cook gently for another 10 minutes. Add
chopped parsley or cilantro. Sample the soup as it may need more salt to match
your taste.
Serve hot making sure each diner gets plenty of the veggies and chicken along
with the broth. The soup tastes even better the next day; freeze the soup in
individual portions to warm up for lunch, especially on long days when you need
a little flavorful and rewarding but virtuous comfort food.
Makes 8-10 servings or more depending on the size of your appetite.
Find more great garden-inspired recipes in
Renee's Cookbooks:
Recipes
from a Kitchen Garden
More
Recipes from a Kitchen Garden |
