Receta Italian Chicken Vegetable Soup...
Day Two of the mister's healthy-eating-punishment...and already he's begging for mercy. I ladled up his bowl, gave him a small piece of crusty bread to go with it - sans butter - and then The Boy came through with a sort of miracle-rub-your-nose-in-it-kind of finish...he walked into the kitchen carrying two pizzas he ordered for himself! You should have seen the look on the mister's face and the instantaneous drool as he sidled up to The Boy right quick and asked if he was going to share. The Boy takes his pizza seriously and said, without a trace of smile or sarcasm, "Sorry old man, this isn't on your diet" and he took his pizzas and walked out of the room. It was a beautiful moment.
Just for the record, I don't have any objection to eating healthy - as long as it's flavorful. And this soup meets that requirement and then some. It's low-calorie, low-carb, high in protein and fiber...and I even used whole wheat pasta...shut-up! I know, I know, what's next? Birkenstocks? Daily home-grown wheat grass shots? Hemp milk?
Feast your eyes upon this pot of deliciousness...chunks of chicken, fresh parsley, fresh basil, carrots, mushrooms, onion, zucchini, red pepper...and those cute as can be pasta rings...this is dang good folks, give it a try - punish your family with a healthy bowl of soup! To steal a line from Rachel Ray - this is really a "stoop" - it's not as watery as soup and not as thick as stew. If you want more of a soup, just add another can of vegetable broth. This is one of my all-time favorite soups and it's even better the next day. After much complaining about no pizza, no butter, and no dessert, the mister ate his soup with gusto, claimed it was "mighty tasty" and then, just to irritate me, said, "It'll counter balance the double-bacon burger and fries I had for lunch today." You can lead a horse to water...
- Italian Chicken Vegetable Soup - Pots and Pins
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed, dried and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup carrots, chopped into small pieces
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 cans (14 oz.) vegetable broth
- 1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes and their juice
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 8 crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 zucchini, diced (unpeeled)
- 3/4 cup whole wheat pasta rings (or other small pasta)
- 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, or other white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
- Parmesan cheese, shredded, for topping, optional
In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil until hot. Add chicken pieces, onion, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and chicken is cooked through. Stir in carrots and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in thyme, fennel, vegetable broth, tomatoes, red pepper, mushrooms, zucchini and pasta. Bring to a boil, cover with lid and reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in beans, parsley, basil and cook for 3 more minutes or until heated through. Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese as a garnish. Serves 6.
"The trouble with jogging is that, by the time you realize you're not in shape for it, it's too far to walk back." ~ Franklin P. Jones