Simple Chicken & Vegetable Soup

With April just around the corner and the first cookouts of the season in the books, I didn't expect to post a soup recipe, of all things, this week, but here we go. I don't even eat soup very often, let alone make it, but we had a bunch of vegetables around, and the mercury has dipped low this week. With that in mind I bring you the very basics of a simple chicken and vegetable soup. I think it turned out pretty well.

You need 3 basic things: chicken, vegetables, and broth. You'll probably also want tomato paste, spices, and maybe a fat like oil or butter. You put everything in a large pot (or a dutch oven or slow cooker) and simmer for a couple hours. Today I decided just to use what I had on hand, and not to use any added fat. Use a basic ratio of 3 Cups broth, 3 Cups chopped vegetables, 3 Tablespoons tomato paste, and 3 boneless chicken thighs.

Ingredients: 

• For chicken, although I prefer thighs, today I had breasts available, so I used 2 medium chicken breasts, cut small. 
• For veggies, I used 1 banana pepper, half an onion, half of a carrot, 3 garlic cloves, half of a tomato, a handful of green beans, half a zucchini, and I wish I had a can of corn to dump in too. 
• 3 T. tomato paste and an extra cup of broth will help
• oregano, thyme, cilantro, and parsley

Directions:

1. I brought 3 cups of broth to a boil in my Dutch oven, stirred in 3 T. of tomato paste while the broth boiled, then dumped in the chicken and all the veggies (and spices) and put the heat on low. 
2. I cooked it for maybe 3 hours, stirring occasionally. 
3. I shook in a tablespoon or two of shredded Parmesan cheese about an hour before I stopped cooking too, which gave it a great cheesy smell and a bit of creaminess. 

Chopped veggies...

...plus chicken...

...together in broth, makes soup!

Tip: marinate chicken in soy sauce ahead of time, always.

JoeSoGarden Update!

I need to give an update on the garden. A month has passed since I first planted a few seedlings. Things look good overall, but it seems like a slow start. It really just warmed up this week, so I expect things to take off a little bit soon. But I've noticed that the box doesn't get full sun -- close buildings casting shadows, etc -- so we'll see...

The broccoli -- slow going at first -- has started to flourish. 

The row of carrot seeds has sprouted nicely!

My neighbor gave me a big chunk of mint -- need to make sure it doesn't take over the area -- and a chunk of oregano. They both rooted nicely in that little triangle section I have. It has pretty rocky soil, so I don't know.

She gave me some flowering plants and a flowering shrub -- orange and/or yellow or something like that. I planted those in a little pattern in the triangle part as well. So far it looks great -- healthy leaves, new growth, etc.

Back over in the planter box, the coriander/cilantro seeds I planted have sprouted. I only need a few of them to supplement the plant I put in originally. 

from the seeds planted a couple weeks ago

original plant

The row of onions looks fantastic! I keep loosening the soil around them. I think I'm doing it right.

Nicely organized!

I planted a banana pepper seedling and a red pepper seedling, and neither of them has grown at all. I mean seriously nothing -- not a single new leaf. They look fine, but they just look the same as they did the day I planted them. So I had this red pepper that I was about to roast on the grill. I collected the seeds from it and planted them next to the slow-growing seedling -- just in cast. Then I had a banana pepper that I got to make Italian sandwiches, and I did the same thing - -collected and planted the seeds. We'll see how that turns out...

red pepper seeds on the left,
banana pepper on the right

Is this growing at all?

Showing no signs of growth...

JoeSoGarden Update: Red Pepper, Banana Pepper, and Tomatoes

I just want to check in with a quick Garden update. I put the rest of my seedlings in the ground a few days ago. I don't expect to see the temperature drop below 37, so, frost free. I had a hot banana pepper plant, a sweet red pepper plant, and a tomato plant (that had gotten knocked over and spilled during the dog napping incident). I also added a photo of the unknown leftover herb (I'm guessing). Can you recognize it? I threw in a bonus pic of the basil plant as well. The tomato plant refused to have its picture taken just yet (looking scraggly).

banana pepper -- love on pizza with pepperoni 

Red pepper! Love it grilled plain...

Basil

Mystery plant ... leftover in the garden from previous tenant
What is it??

Bonus shot of banana pepper plant