Chicken and Kale Soup

After a busy afternoon running errands, there is nothing more welcoming than a big bowl of home made chicken soup. This soup is chock full of healthy, hearty vegetables. Lots of vitamins in a bowl…yummy!

I always start my soup base with a holy trinity of onion, carrots and celery. It is a wonderful way of building up flavors for your soup. I then add whatever greens I may have on hand, but let me say that kale has become my new favorite leafy green vegetable. Kale is being called, ” the queen of greens” and a “nutritional powerhouse”.

There is really not much effort required in making this soup, except for chopping some vegetables. And it is even more easy with store bought rotisserie chicken. I cut up three quarters of the chicken to use in this soup but you can use the whole chicken if you wish, just increase the amount of liquids to compensate.

Round off this soup with a crispy salad and some crusty bread for a complete meal.

This recipe will serve 4-6 people.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbls olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic. minced
• 2 tbls tomato paste (I like to use the concentrated tomato paste that comes in a tube)
• 1  bunch of kale, chopped (hard stem removed and discarded)
• 8  cups of chicken broth
• 3/4 of a cooked rotisserie chicken (skin and bones removed then chopped)
• 1/2 cup filini or orzo (tiny shaped pasta)
•  salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, minced garlic, tomato paste and sauté for about 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Next add the chopped kale to the pot with salt and pepper to taste and stir till the kale wilts, for about a minute or 2. Pour in 1/2 cup of the chicken broth stirring to release any brown bits then add in remaining broth and the cooked chicken. Cover and bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil stir in your tiny shaped pasta, reduce heat to low and simmer till noodles are cooked. So Simple:)

Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Simply scarfable!!!!!

Buon Appetito!