Michigan Chicken, Bean and Sausage Stew

I've had this recipe floating around in my stores for a very long time. It's even written down in my family cookbook, but with no real directions, just ingredients and amounts. So, today I took the challenge of getting this together in a deliciously edible form to share.

I haven't the faintest idea why it's titled "Michigan", but it sure is good. Canned beans are fine, but I really prefer dry to start with. I almost always forget to soak overnight so I end up doing the fast soak method and the beans turn out just fine.

Any type of sausage will do, I prefer a good country-style sausage, but Italian is tasty and a smoky kielbasa would be great as well. The original recipe calls for salt pork to start, and I'll put that in the recipe, but I started with olive oil for a bit of a healthier alternative. I also added lemon juice to brighten it up and add some contrast.

Michigan Chicken, Bean and Sausage Stew
Printable Recipe
Serves 8

1 pound navy beans, sorted, soaked and cooked until tender OR 4 - 15 ounce cans of beans, drained)
4 ounces salt pork - diced fine OR 2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups diced onion
2 pounds cooked chicken (any cut) diced into cubes
1 1/2 pounds sausage, cooked and sliced thickly - about 1/2"
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 - 15 ounce can tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon juice to taste

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil or salt pork. If adding salt pork, render for several minutes. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent, do not brown.
2. Add chicken and sausage and stir well. Pour in beans and stock and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes - uncovered.
3. Put in bay leaves, thyme and tomato sauce. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes - uncovered until thick. Remove bay leaves, add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Pot pie has been big stuff around here since I was a kid. There have been arguments about the differences between Pennsylvania Dutch pot pie and the kind I grew up on, but that's a whole different post.

This is based on the actual pie type of pot pie with a tiny twist, the pie dough is puff pastry baked with shredded cheese on top. Those little extras can really put an ordinary bowl of soup over the top.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 small leek - cleaned well and sliced thinly - white part only
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups diced white potatoes
2 cups diced carrot
2 cups frozen cut green beans
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts - cooked and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg white - beaten
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat chicken stock in a large soup pot to boiling. Add leek, potatoes, carrots, bay leaf and thyme. Reduce to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender - about 20 minutes.
2. Add chicken and green beans and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and thicken soup if necessary with flour and water or beurre maniér.

While soup is cooking, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and unroll puff pastry. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with cheese. Cut into 9 equal squares and bake for 15 minutes or until puffy and golden brown.

*Note- Beurre Manie is French for "kneaded butter". It consists of equal parts four to butter. Combine flour and butter and knead until well combined. Add a small amount at a time to a simmering liquid and whisk until smooth. Add more as needed.

Chicken and Tomato Bruschetta Soup

This soup is a takeoff of a recipe I recently did for Family.com, Cheesy Chicken and Tomato Bruschetta Turnovers. They were fabulous, if I do say so myself, and I was so enamoured with the flavors that I had to make something else with it.

This goes together very easily, has few ingredients, but is big on flavor. I like a bit of red pepper flakes for spice, but you can make it mild and leave them out.

Chicken and Tomato Bruschetta Soup
Printable Recipe
Ready In 45 minutes
Serves 4-6

8 plum tomatoes - seeded and chopped
1 cup finely diced yellow or white onion
2 large cloves garlic - minced
1/4 cup fresh basil - minced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 cups cooked chicken breast - chopped
4 cups chicken stock
red pepper flakes to taste
4 - 6 slices crusty bread - toasted
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Combine tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil and salt in a small bowl. Stir well and let stand. This is the tomato bruschetta.
Heat chicken stock to boiling and add 2 cups of tomato mixture. Save any remainder for another use.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add chicken and red pepper flakes and cook for another 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
Stir in 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan. Check seasoning and add salt if needed.
Top the toast rounds with Parmesan cheese and float on each bowl of soup.

Garlic Soup with Chicken

A couple years ago I wrote a post on Cooking with Anne about my love of garlic. Included at the end of the post was a recipe and this soup was it. As good as it is in its original state, I made a couple tweaks to it according to my own tastes and made it again yesterday in the hopes that it would help to cure a fairly bad cold I've been stricken with.

I added a few cloves of garlic and changed the method slightly. I love this soup for its simplicity. It really is just a basic chicken soup with a bunch of garlic added to it, but the end result is so deliciously different that it deserves a whole post to itself.

The two methods of cooking the garlic provide a depth of flavor that you don't get from just one method. Don't skip it!

Garlic Soup with Chicken
Printable Recipe
Ready In: 1 hour
Serves: 6-8

1 whole chicken - about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds, cut up
2 carrots peeled and diced
2 stalks celery diced
1 large onion diced
2 heads garlic - peel 10 cloves and set aside
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
Freshly cracked pepper and Kosher salt
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour

1. Put vegetables in the bottom of a large soup pot and add chicken, unpeeled garlic cloves (a little more than 1 head of garlic) and herbs. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Remove chicken and garlic cloves and set aside.
3. Strain broth and return to pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by about one-third.
4. When chicken is cool enough to handle, chop into bite sized pieces and set aside.
5. Squeeze softened garlic from skins and add 1 teaspoon Kosher salt. Mash into a paste (a mortar and pestle works well for this) and set aside.
6. Heat butter in a small skillet over very low heat. Add the 10 peeled garlic cloves and cook until cloves just begin to brown. Remove cloves with a slotted spoon and add to mashed garlic and mash these together as well.
7. Add flour to butter and whisk until a paste forms. Add mashed garlic to flour and butter and whisk until well combined. Add all to chicken broth. Heat until slightly thickened and add chopped chicken back into the pot. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Chicken, Plantain and Groundnut Stew

In Africa peanuts are known as 'groundnuts' and plantains are plentiful. Plantains look much like bananas, but are larger and most commonly sold green. They can be difficult to peel, but cutting into the peel several times with a small knife and peeling in sections seems to work best.

Combined with rich spices and tender chicken, this makes a delicious stew perfect for cold winter days. There are a lot of flavors here, but they blend together very well.

Chicken, Plantain and Groundnut Stew
Printable Recipe
Ready in 45 minutes
Serves 6-8

6 Tablespoons oil
6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large green pepper - diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 medium yellow onion - cut into chunks
1 (15 ounces) can diced tomatoes
2 large carrots peeled and diced
2 medium plantains - just turning yellow - peeled, cut lengthwise into 4 strips each and then into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
4 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon (or more as desired) salt

1. Heat oil in a large and heavy-bottomed pot. Add flour and stir well over a medium-high flame until roux begins to turn very dark - the color of an old copper penny.
2. Once roux is dark and nutty in aroma, turn heat low and add onion, green pepper and garlic. Cook until vegetables begin to 'sweat', or leach juices.
3. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Pour in stock, carrots, plantains, tomatoes and spices. Stir in peanut butter.
4. Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes or until carrots and plantains are tender. This can take up to an hour, depending on the ripeness of the plantains.

Tortellini Soup with Chicken Meatball Dumplings

We're getting buried with a heavy snowfall in the Lehigh Valley today and being snowed in is the perfect time for soup. I made two today - Nacho Mama's Tortilla Soup and this one. This is a variation on the Chicken Ravioli Soup I made for Family.com.

Substituting tortellini for the ravioli and making chicken dumplings rather than chopped chicken gave this one a whole new dimension of flavor.

Tortellini Soup with Chicken Dumplings
Printable Recipe
Ready in 30 minutes
Serves 6

6 cups chicken stock or broth

2 cloves garlic - minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup diced carrot
19 ounces frozen cheese-filled tortellini
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
2 large eggs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 slice bread
salt and pepper to taste


1. Heat chicken stock in a soup pot until boiling; reduce heat and add carrot and bay leaf. Simmer until vegetables are soft - about 20 minutes.
2. While carrots are cooking, combine chicken breast, eggs, Parmesan and bread in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
3. Return stock to boiling and shape chicken mixture into small balls. Drop into stock.
4. Add tortellini and cook for 5 -6 minutes until tortellini are tender and cooked through.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Dawn Hall's Creamy Chicken and Noodle Soup

Photo and recipes used with permission by Dawn Hall and Thomas Nelson Publishers

This recipe is from Dawn Hall's newest cookbook (her 8th!) Busy People's Fast & Frugal Cookbook. Her approach to food is simple, do the best you can with what you have. A fuller look at Dawn Hall, her amazing and inspirational story, and her cookbooks can be found today at the HalfHourMeals.com blog: Food for Thought. The cookbook debuts today and can be found at Amazon.com.

With these recipes there's no stone unturned. Dawn lays it out for her readers from top to bottom: Timing, equipment and shopping list. The only thing you need to worry about is who to make these delicious meals for!

Creamy Chicken and Noodle Soup

This is my best Chicken Noodle Soup recipe yet! Grandma would be so proud!

Ingredients

12 cups plus 1 cup chicken broth made from bouillon, divided
6 stalks celery, finely chopped (to make 2 cups)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (from a jar)
1 (12-ounce) package fettuccine
½ cup cornstarch
1 (14.5-ounce) can sliced carrots
2 (12.5-ounce) cans chunk chicken breast in water

Instructions for entrée:

In a large non-stick Dutch oven or soup pan bring to boil 12 cups of chicken broth made from bouillon.*
Finely chop 6 stalks of celery with the leaves to make 2 cups, add to broth.
Add 2 tablespoon minced garlic (from a jar) to the broth stir well.
Add 1 (12-ounce) package fettuccine into the broth; break the fettuccine in half before adding to broth.
Bring soup to full boil stirring occasionally.
Cook at a full boil soup for 12 -14 minutes or until fettuccine is tender.
Dissolve ½ cup cornstarch into 1 cup chicken broth and set aside. Pour into the soup.
Add to soup 1 (14.5-ounce) can sliced carrots and 2(12.5-ounce) cans chunk chicken breast in water. Breaking up the big chunks of chicken before putting into soup.
Stir until everything is heated through.

Yield: 16 (1 cup) servings

Calories per serving: 153 (9% fat); Total fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 19 mg; Carbohydrate: 22 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Protein: 12 g; Sodium: 541 mg

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 very lean meat

Helpful Hint:

To make the broth: Add ¼ cup chicken granules instant bouillon to 12 cups water stirring until dissolved, and 1 teaspoon chicken granules instant bouillon to the 1 cup water stirring until dissolved.


MS/Meal Suggestion: 30 minutes for total meal:

Homemade Seasoned Crackers

Instructions to prepare suggested meal

Set timer for 30 minutes

30 minutes before meal:

Make the Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup according to the directions. After you put the pasta into the boiling broth, then make the Homemade Seasoned Crackers.

10 minutes before meal:

Begin making the Homemade Seasoned Crackers according to directions.(Recipe below)

5 minutes before meal:

Place the seasoned crackers in the oven. Bake until crispy, 3-4 minutes.
Finish making the soup.



LIST FOR SUGGESTED MEAL:


Supplies List for entire meal

Large non-stick Dutch oven or soup pan

Cutting board

Oven

2 Baking sheets

Timer

Grocery List for entire meal

PRODUCE

Celery (6 stalks needed)
PACKAGED

1 (12-ounce) package fettuccine

1 (14.5-ounce) can sliced carrots

2 (12.5-ounce) cans chunk chicken breast in water

4 fat-free flour tortillas
PANTRY

Chicken broth made from bouillon (13 cups total needed)

Minced garlic

Cornstarch

Garlic salt

Dried parsley (5 teaspoons needed)

Paprika

Butter flavored cooking spray
*************************************

Homemade Seasoned Crackers

(This is recommended with the Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup)

These were a huge hit with the children! They even made more independently later in the week for snacks, because they liked them so much!

Ingredients

4 fat-free flour tortillas
1 ½ teaspoon garlic salt
5 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

Place oven rack in middle of oven. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut 4 fat-free flour tortillas into 8 pie shaped wedges. Arrange wedges in single layer on 2 baking sheets.
Spray wedges with butter flavored cooking spray on both sides of wedges.
Sprinkle 1 ½ teaspoons garlic salt, 5 teaspoons dried parsley and 1 teaspoon paprika evenly over wedges.
Place in oven and bake for
Place the seasoned tortillas in the oven. Bake until crispy, 3-4 minutes.

Yield: 16 (2 crackers) servings

Calories per serving: 31 (0% fat); Total fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Carbohydrate: 6 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Protein: 1 g; Sodium: 168 mg

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 starch


Supplies List for cracker only
Oven

2 Baking sheets

Timer

Grocery List for crackers only

PACKAGED

4 fat-free flour tortillas

PANTRY

Garlic salt

Dried parsley (5 teaspoons needed)

Paprika

Butter flavored cooking spray

Green Chili with Chicken

Chili is one of my favorite meals; warm, comforting and very filling. There are also so many different versions to choose from that chili once a week would be very doable without repeats.

This one is my own take on green chili. Although I chose to use a green salsa, you can easily use 5 small tomatillos - seeded and diced - and a jalapeno pepper - seeded and minced - to substitute for the bottled sauce. This is pretty high on the heat scale, as well, but the sour cream and cheese help to tame the spice a bit.

Green Chili with Chicken
Printable Recipe
Serves 8

2 Tablespoons neutral oil - such as vegetable
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast - cut into large chunks
1 medium white or yellow onion - diced
1 green bell pepper - seeded and diced
1 bunch green onions - sliced - green and white parts
4 cloves garlic - minced
2 large stalks celery - diced
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa verde
1 small can diced green chiles
2 cans (or 3 cups) cannelini beans - drained
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt to taste

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot and cook onion, green bell pepper, green onion, celery and garlic until fragrant and starting to soften.
2. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink.
3. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft and chili is thickened.
4. Remove bay leaf, adjust seasoning and serve with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup

Recently I reviewed America's Most Wanted Recipes at Cooking with Anne and one of the dishes we tested from it was this soup. Honestly, one look at the ingredients made me think there was no way I would like it. I didn't want to like it, but I did. I have to admit, this is one delicious soup. With the masa added to it, it really tastes like enchiladas.

I also have to admit, that regardless of how good it was, I must insist on my own chicken stock, fresh garlic, fresh tomatoes and real cheddar cheese rather than Velveeta going forward. I also much prefer homemade tortilla strips to crushed chips. The amount is rather large, as well and I didn't cut it in half to see how it would do, so I can't tell you what a smaller yield would taste like.

Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup
Serves 16 to 20

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup chicken bouillon powder
3 cups diced yellow onions
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups masa harina
4 quarts water
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
8 ounces Velveeta, cubed
3 pounds cooked chicken breast, shredded

Garnish
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 cup pico de gallo

1. Combine oil, chicken bouillon, onion, and spices in a large pot.
2. Saute until onions are soft and clear, about 5 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine masa harina with 1 quart water. Stir until all lumps dissolve.
4. Add to sauteed onions and bring to a boil.
5. Once mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Add remaining 3 quarts of water and crushed tomatoes. Let mixture return to a boil, stirring occasionally.
7. Add Velveeta and stir until it melts. Add chicken, heat and serve.
8. Top with garnishes.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Reminiscent of pho, I find this soup just as satisfying with far less work. There are versions all over the 'net and in countless cookbooks. I like my own version, packed with bok choy, sno peas and rice noodles.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup
Printable Recipe
Serves 4

4 cups chicken broth or stock
1 clove garlic - minced
2 Tablespoons mirin
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup fresh cilantro - chopped
4 large green onions - sliced thinly
12 ounces cooked chicken breast - diced
2 cups bok choy - chopped (I like more green than white)
4 ounces sno peas - each cut in half
8 ounces rice noodles - soaked for 15 minutes in cold water

1. In a large stock or soup pot add stock, garlic, mirin, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
2. Add remaining ingredients and continue simmering until bok choy is just tender - about 15 minutes (I like mine to have a little bite left to it).

Anne's Chicken Gumbo

This is the gumbo I've been making for over 15 years. It was something my dad liked and everyone who has had it raves about it. I'm not sure how it would stand up in NOLA, but up here in the northeast it's pretty good chow. This one has an addition of hot sausage to it, add that in to the beginning vegetables and it will work well.

Anne's Chicken Gumbo
Printable Link

1/2 cup butter or oil
1/2 cup flour
1 large onion - medium dice
4 stalks celery - medium dice
2 large green peppers - medium dice
1 red pepper - medium dice
1 yellow pepper - medium dice
8 cups chicken stock
1 cup tomato puree
4 tomatoes concasse (peeled seeded diced)
2c. okra cut in 1" slices
1 pound boneless skinless chicken (breast or thigh) cooked and diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
1/2 Tablespoon dried basil
1/2 Tablespoon dried oregano
pinch Thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 Tablespoon filé powder (ground sassafras leaves)
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 bay leaf
cooked rice for serving

1. Heat butter or oil in a large pot - add flour and cook until mixture is the color of a copper penny - not a new penny - an old one - nice and dark.
2. Add onion, celery and peppers - cook for several minutes until they begin to 'weep'.
3. Add stock slowly while stirring and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender - about 20 minutes.
4. Add all tomato products and simmer for another 10 minutes.
5. Add chicken, okra and all seasonings except filé powder.
6. Bring to a boil - reduce heat and simmer 15 min.
7. Turn heat off and add filé powder - stir well, remove bay leaf and serve.

For seafood gumbo:

Use 1/2 pound shrimp and 1/2 pound scallops in place of
chicken. Add during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Use fish stock if available (otherwise chicken is fine) and replace parsley with chervil and add 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning.

Originally posted at Cooking with Anne on September 15, 2005.

Chicken Florentine Soup

I really enjoy Chicken Florentine (anything Florentine for that matter!) so deconstructing it for soup seemed like a good idea. It was! Don't leave out the shallots or garlic or the flavor won't be the same. Shallots are like a perfect blend of garlic and onion or leek and add a depth you don't get from just garlic. Even equal parts garlic and onion wouldn't be the same, so please try to find them for this.


Chicken Florentine Soup
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
All-purpose flour for coating
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons shallots, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 6-ounce package baby spinach - chopped

1. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and toss with flour to coat each piece.
2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy soup pot. Add shallots and garlic and cook briefly.
3. Add chicken and cook until browned.
4. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.
5. Pour the wine into the pot and stir and cook, breaking up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
6. Add chicken stock, spinach and chicken.
7. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes.
8. At this point you can thicken the soup with a flour and water slurry. Once thickened, add cream, and simmer for another 10 minutes before serving.

Fennel and Chicken Soup

I love this soup for its simplicity. Once this was done, I knew I'd come up with yet another soup that would be on the top of my favorites list. There are so few ingredients, and yet the flavors blend together so well that nobody will know that it didn't take hours to achieve it.

Fennel and Chicken Soup
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as an appetizer
Printable Recipe

1 large bulb fennel - without leaves or stems
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup cooked chicken breast - diced small
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut fennel in quarters - lengthwise - and remove hard core.
2. Slice fennel into thin strips.
3. Bring stock to a simmer and add fennel. Cook until fennel is tender - 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Add chicken and cream - simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Thicken with beurre manier*. Simmer for several minutes to cook out any flour taste before serving.

*Note- Beurre Manier is French for "kneaded butter". It consists of equal parts four to butter. Combine flour and butter and knead until well combined. Add a small amount at a time to a simmering liquid and whisk until smooth. Add more as needed.

Green Soup

This soup comes from my friend Kate. They call it Green Soup because of the pretty green color it takes on the day after it's made. It's a Mulligatawny of sorts - without the lentils - and I think this version is absolutely perfect. My kids thought so, too. I can tell you this; if you have a cold right now, this would certainly kick it right out of you, in the most delicious way. It was so quick to cook that I'll be making often here.

Green Soup
Printable Recipe

4 bouillon cubes
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp butter
4 cups cooked, shredded chicken (2-3 breasts)
2 cups apples, peeled and chopped
2 cups carrots, diced
2 cups celery, chopped
2 Tbsp parsley
1 tsp curry
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup flour
10 cups water

Boil chicken in water until cooked through. Drain water, then shred chicken.

Cook onion in butter until soft. Add chicken, apples, carrots, celery, flour & spices. Slowly add water & bouillon cubes. Stir well. Simmer 30 minutes, minimum, before serving.


This was first posted at Cooking with Anne on May 8, 2008.

Chicken Soup

The best part about this recipe is this-you can use almost any combination of the ingredients that you want and still get almost the same results. You can use dried or fresh herbs, dried or fresh onion, a whole roasting chicken or a whole frying chicken or even just parts as long as the bones are attached. You can add turnip in small amounts or even parsnips. Chicken soup is incredibly versatile and forgiving and almost everyone has their own favorite version.

I sometimes strain the veggies and leave them out altogether because I have several family members who won't eat the soup with the veggies in it.

Chicken Soup
Printable Recipe

1 whole chicken-2 to 3 lbs or more
1 large onion-cut in eighths
3 large carrots-cut in chunks
4 large celery stalks-cut in chunks
1 small bunch fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
5-6 whole garlic cloves-peeled
1 tsp dried dill
rice or noodles - uncooked
salt to taste

1. Place all in a large pot-add cold water to cover.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for several hours until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are soft.
3. Strain all and chop veggies and chicken to add back to the broth in the pot.
4. Add noodles or rice and simmer until done.

Chicken Stew

Stew is so satisfying that it's hard to believe how simple it is to make. This version doesn't take a long time to cook, either, so it's perfect for any night of the week.

Chicken Stew
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

2 pounds chicken breast chunks
flour to coat chicken
2 Tablespoons oil
8 cups chicken stock
6 large potatoes, cut into large cubes
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
1/2 pound baby carrots, peeled
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper


1. Coat chicken chunks in flour.
2. Heat a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat. Add oil and chicken.
3. Brown chicken lightly and add remaining ingredients.
4. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.

* Adding this in here - you may want to thicken at the end with a simple water/flour slurry or Beurre Manier - to desired thickness, no real formula.

Chicken Chili

Many chicken chilies are made with green or all white sauces. I still like tomato with my chili, no matter what the rest of the ingredients are.

Chicken Chili
Serves 4-6
Printable Recipe

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts - cut into 1" chunks
2 cups cannellini beans - drained
2 cups diced tomatoes and juice - with or without chiles
1 medium onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
neutral oil such as vegetable
2 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon chili powder

1. Heat oil in a heavy pot; add onion and garlic. Cook until onion begins to turn translucent. Do not brown.
2. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Do this over low heat so the garlic doesn't burn.
3. Add beans, tomatoes, stock and chili powder. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced black olives, sliced green onions etc.

Nacho Mama's Tortilla Soup

I've always liked tortilla soup. It's so easy to make, full of flavor and one of those things that makes a very attractive bowlful.

I'm not going to give you a recipe that simply calls for tossing everything into a pot and simmering for 20 minutes, though. I feel that any good dish is built from the bottom up, flavor-by-flavor, and this one especially benefits from that philosophy.

While divine in it's own right, I think the addition of chicken makes it hearty enough for a meal.

Here is the basic recipe, but pay close attention to the method - it's not what you think.

Nacho Mama's Chicken Tortilla Soup
Printable Recipe

1 small onion - diced
1 small green pepper - diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
2 cups cooked and chopped chicken breast
1 sprig of epazote - chopped OR 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime - zested, halved and juiced
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano - rubbed
1 small dried chile such as arbol

For garnish:

8 corn tortillas - cut into strips
1 small avocado - peeled and diced
1 lime - sliced thinly
1/4 cup whole cilantro leaves
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Cook strips of tortilla in a small amount of oil over medium-high heat until toasted. Set aside on paper toweling to drain.

Toast cumin lightly in a non-stick pan. Cool and powder with a spice grinder. Toasting and grinding the seed makes the flavor deeper. Add the oregano to this and set aside.

Heat a couple tablespoons of neutral oil, like canola, in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion and green pepper and cook until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and stir for a moment. Add stock and tomatoes and simmer until vegetables are tender - about 20 minutes.

Add chicken, oregano and cumin, lime juice, zest and lime halves, cilantro and chile. Simmer for another 20 minutes until flavors blend. Remove chile and lime halves.

Serve in bowls, topped with tortilla strips, lime slices, avocado, cilantro leaves and shredded cheese.

*Note - the version in the photo contains kidney beans, which is not the norm, but is really good.

Wonton Soup

This first soup is the one in the photo used in this blog's header; Wonton Soup.

Wonton Soup is available in two different ways where I live; order it from a Chinese restaurant, or make it yourself. I like to make my own.

This is how it's done:



Minced chicken or pork with sherry, soy, garlic, green onion and ginger - and wonton wrappers.


Centered on the wrapper.


Folded over.


Long corners brought together and sealed with a little water.



Wontons in waiting.



Rapidly boiling stock.



Wontons surfaced and ready!



Perfectly yummy.

Wonton Soup
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

1 pound ground pork or chicken
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 garlic clove - minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon sliced green onion + 1/4 cup
24 wonton wrappers
12 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1. Mix pork or chicken with sherry, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and 1 tablespoon sliced green onion. (The green onion was left out of this batch of wontons for my husband).
2. Drop a teaspoonful of mixture on each wonton wrapper. Fold as shown in photos.
3. Bring stock to a boil and drop wontons, one at a time - about 6 -8 at once, into stock. When they are floating and turning slightly translucent they are done.
4. Pour 1 1/2 cups of stock into a bowl - add 3 wontons and sprinkle with green onion.