Author Notes
One of my fave things to make that's nutritious, luscious yet low-cal, fresh-tasting, and not very fussy at all since it's pretty much chop, saute, toss and simmer so it can all be done in one pot. Bonus, it's grain-free and dairy-free. I've made it half a dozen times in the fall, but it's also great for those rainy days that happen once in awhile. It freezes beautifully!
My local higher-end grocery store chain here in Minnesota (Byerly's) makes a line of frozen soups, all of which I have tried over the years, only to always forget how expensive, messy to prepare (the serving comes in a box and then vacuum-sealed in a bag you can't boil in), and high in sodium, to boot. I have successfully made three of them so far, and this is the one I feel I've mastered. I add more garlic, use LOTS less salt, and add some spice (cumin). If you're just having a cup of it with salad or sandwich, the recipe can make up to ten 1-cup servings. Since it's relatively low cal (under 180 cals for one cup), it also makes a fantastic complete meal in a bowl. —BJ Woods
Ingredients
-
2 tablespoons
olive oil
-
1-2 cups
onion, diced
-
4
cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
-
2
quarts chicken stock
-
1/2 cup
water
-
2
pounds unpeeled carrots, chopped
-
2
pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
-
1/2
of an uncooked chicken, skin/bone intact
-
5
ounces fresh spinach, sliced thin
-
8
ounces fresh sugar snap peas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
-
1 teaspoon
ground cumin
Directions
-
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté until softened (about 2-4 minutes).
-
Add the chicken stock or water (plus the 1/2 cup of water), carrots, and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and add chicken. Cook on low heat uncovered for 1 1/2 hours.
-
Remove chicken and set aside to cool (can be placed in the refrigerator, if you prefer).
-
Puree stock and vegetables in batches until smooth. I like to use a stick blender and leave in a few small chunks of the root veggies.
-
Remove the skin and bones from the chicken, and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.
-
Return meat to pureed broth; bring to a gentle simmer, season with salt and pepper to taste
-
Add spinach and snap peas, stir in cumin, and cook until spinach is not quite yet wilted, but warmed. Taste for salt and pepper again, and serve.
See what other Food52ers are saying.