Happy spring equinox! Today I made a ridiculously simple veggie and chicken soup. Soups and stews are very easy to digest and can be highly nutritious when you use the right ingredients (like lots of veggies, good quality meats and nutritious bone broths). Here is my easy guide to creating your own simple soup or stew, choosing your own ingredients.
Step 1: Soup Base--I like a basic mirepoix for a soup base. This consists of onions, carrots and celery, chopped up. Sautee these veggies in a highly stable oil for cooking, like coconut oil. If you are going to add crushed fresh garlic, this would be a good time.
Step 2: Choose a Protein--add some protein to the mix. Choices could be sausage, shrimp, chicken breast or thigh, pork or beef stew meat. You could also add some beans here if you tolerate them well.
Step 3: Add your broth--you could use homemade broth or a good quality store bought one.
Step 4: Add lots of veggies--There are two types of veggies to add, ones that need longer cooking time and ones that should be put in the pot in the last few minutes. For step 4, try longer cooking veggies like: cauliflower, zucchini, artichoke hearts, cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli, turnips, celery root or winter squashes.
Step 5: Add dried seasonings--sea salt and pepper, garlic (if you didn't use fresh garlic in Step 1), paprika, chili, thyme, tarragon, oregano, basil, cumin, coriander, etc. Don't overdo it by addiing too many different types of seasonings. Choose 2 or 3 and call it good.
Step 6: Let everything cook for awhile--Let things simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or so, until the veggies and the meat are cooked and things are starting to smell good.
Step 7: Add even more veggies--This is the time to add your second batch of veggies. These are the leafy greens and the fresh herbs. Choices include: kale, collard greens, chard, spinach, fresh basil, fresh parsley, fresh oregano, etc. Add these to the simmering soup and let cook for just a few minutes.
That's it! Adjust your seasonings to taste and enjoy your soup! Make a big pot and freeze some single servings for future meals.
If you want to know what I used in my soup, here are my ingredients:
mirepoix (onion, celery and carrots) sauteed in coconut oil
fresh crushed garlic
chicken thigh
homemade chicken broth that I made weeks ago and froze in small containers
zucchini
cauliflower
tomatoes
thyme (dried)
tarragon (dried)
celtic sea salt and black pepper
fresh parsley
Step 1: Soup Base--I like a basic mirepoix for a soup base. This consists of onions, carrots and celery, chopped up. Sautee these veggies in a highly stable oil for cooking, like coconut oil. If you are going to add crushed fresh garlic, this would be a good time.
Step 2: Choose a Protein--add some protein to the mix. Choices could be sausage, shrimp, chicken breast or thigh, pork or beef stew meat. You could also add some beans here if you tolerate them well.
Step 3: Add your broth--you could use homemade broth or a good quality store bought one.
Step 4: Add lots of veggies--There are two types of veggies to add, ones that need longer cooking time and ones that should be put in the pot in the last few minutes. For step 4, try longer cooking veggies like: cauliflower, zucchini, artichoke hearts, cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli, turnips, celery root or winter squashes.
Step 5: Add dried seasonings--sea salt and pepper, garlic (if you didn't use fresh garlic in Step 1), paprika, chili, thyme, tarragon, oregano, basil, cumin, coriander, etc. Don't overdo it by addiing too many different types of seasonings. Choose 2 or 3 and call it good.
Step 6: Let everything cook for awhile--Let things simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or so, until the veggies and the meat are cooked and things are starting to smell good.
Step 7: Add even more veggies--This is the time to add your second batch of veggies. These are the leafy greens and the fresh herbs. Choices include: kale, collard greens, chard, spinach, fresh basil, fresh parsley, fresh oregano, etc. Add these to the simmering soup and let cook for just a few minutes.
That's it! Adjust your seasonings to taste and enjoy your soup! Make a big pot and freeze some single servings for future meals.
If you want to know what I used in my soup, here are my ingredients:
mirepoix (onion, celery and carrots) sauteed in coconut oil
fresh crushed garlic
chicken thigh
homemade chicken broth that I made weeks ago and froze in small containers
zucchini
cauliflower
tomatoes
thyme (dried)
tarragon (dried)
celtic sea salt and black pepper
fresh parsley
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