Snow Day Soup

Anyone else been stuck inside with their kid(s) all week? I have and to be honest, it’s driving me a little crazy. We have done everything from arts & crafts and  baking to sleigh riding and  playing LOL Surprise Dolls (which BTW- I loathe whoever created these tiny toys). So, today I decided to make soup. I didn’t have much on hand since the snow halted my usual Tuesday shopping trip, so I made my favorite tried and true, Greek Lemon Chicken Soup. Below is the recipe. It was the perfect comfort food, pairing nicely with a piece of bread & a glass of crisp white wine (go for my favs: an Australian Sauvignon Blanc or a nice Italian Pinot Grigio).

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 8 cups low sodium, organic chicken broth
• Zest and juice from 3 organic lemons
• 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta (uncooked)
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 5 oz raw spinach (aka: one store bought container)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan and cover with a couple inches of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and let the chicken simmer for 20 minutes, periodically skimming the fat from the top of the bubbling pot as needed. When cooked through, drain water, place chicken on a cutting board, & once cooled, shred and set aside.
2. Next, pour the 8 cups of chicken broth into a large pot. Cover and heat on high until boiling.
3. Pour in the orzo and let cook, stirring regularly for 5-6 minutes.
4. Then, while stirring with a wooden spoon, slowly pour in the beaten eggs. Continue to stir until eggs are fully incorporated and you see them cooked & formed into white “threads”.
5. Remove pot from heat, add in shredded chicken, spinach, lemon juice & zest, and some salt and pepper to your liking.
6. Put pot back on the burner and heat until boiling. Then remove and serve with a bit of feta cheese on top and a piece of garlic bread on the side. Enjoy!!

*Note: the lemony taste is strong in this soup, but one which pairs so nicely with the chicken & spinach. You can even add a little fresh oregano to make it a bit more “Mediterranean”.  

 

XO Robin

 

Italian Chicken Soup

The past week or so I’ve been dealing with a slight head cold that just won’t go away. Today was a chilly, windy day, and I decided what better to cook than chicken soup. Normally I go old school with making the broth from scratch, using buttery egg noodles, and cooking a whole chicken, then ripping off the excess meat for a hearty soup. Not today though. Today I opted for something a little out of the ordinary.

All this really means is I wanted to use up the spices, veggies, and meat I was running low on so I can restock next time I go grocery shopping. The end result: Italian Chicken Soup. Here’s the recipe 🙂

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sliced carrot
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced zucchini
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups dry orzo (or any other small pasta you have. Ditalini or pastina works great too)
• 1 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes with basil and oregano (a more favorable subsitue would be a 14 oz can of fire roasted petite diced tomatoes. The reason I used crushed is because that’s what was in my pantry )
• 4 cups organic baby spinach
• 1 parmesan cheese rind (this is optional)
• 8 cups organic low-sodium chicken or veggie stock (I used chicken)
• 2 organic boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil and butter in a soup pot over high heat. Once the butter begins to foam, add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add zucchini, carrots, & celery, and cook for 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook one additional minute.
2. While the veggies are cooking, put the 2 chicken breasts in a smaller pot and cover completely with water. Bring the water to a boil (this poaches the meat) and simmer for about 20-30 minutes. (The amount of time to cook these through really depends on the thickness. I used 2 huge thick breasts, but smaller ones will take less time. Just take them out and cut in half or pierce with a fork to check doneness) Once finished cooking, let the chicken cool slightly and then shred.
3. Place the shredded chicken, can of crushed tomatoes, thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, rosemary, & parmesan rind into the soup pot. Cook for 5 minutes to combine the flavors.
4. Add 8 cups of stock and orzo. Cook for about another  15 minutes or until orzo appears done.
5. Once the orzo has softened, add the 4 cups spinach. Using a spoon push down the leaves so they are incorporated into the soup. Taste and add salt & pepper as necessary.
6. Remove cheese rind from pot before serving. Make sure to save some grated cheese and a crusty roll to have alongside the soup.

 

Enjoy!

 

xo Robin