Tomato Soup with Chicken and Vegetables

[rgbarron01]

This was better thank I hoped.   I was going for something a little bit different than the typical frozen mixed vegetables.  Interesting flavors and textures.  

 

These are the ingredients and amounts I used, but soups are very flexible so add what you like in the amounts you have.

 

Broth:

1 chicken leg/thigh combo

1 onion, quartered

1 carrot, cut in 2-3 pieces

1 rib celery cut into 2-3 pieces

1T salt

 

Put broth ingredients in a large pot (10-12 cups, I think) and cover with water.  Simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until chicken is tender.  Skim off foam and whatever fat you wish to discard ( I find it easier to remove  the fat after the soup has been refrigerated and it solidifies).  Pour contents through a colander--reserve chicken meat for later, discard vegetables.  Return bones and skin to pot along with the broth and simmer for an additional hour or so.  Not sure if this step is necessary but I wanted to get money's worth out of this expensive organic chicken;-)  

 

Remove skin and bones.  Broth is ready for the vegetables!

 

I added:

 

1 large red bell pepper, chunked

5-6 small white mushrooms, quartered

two medium carrots, sliced

1 medium zucchini cut into chunks

1 28 oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

 

Simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add chicken back to the pot.  Heat through and serve.

 

I like to add cold avocado slices to tomato based soups and will do so tomorrow when I eat this for breakfast.

 

[missmary]

this sounds really good, thank you!

 

two tips:

1. For a true "bone broth" add 2T-1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar to the bones after you remove the chicken you wish to keep. Simmer for around 12 hours to 24 hours to really get the collagen, gelatin and minerals.

2. I'm not sure how many servings this makes, but it looks like several...and only one thigh/leg of chicken...if that's the case you will want to make sure you have additional protein available, so each meal gets a full "palm-size" portion at a minimum. I might double or triple the chicken in proportion to vegetables here.

3. not a tip from me, but from you!: adding avocado slices when serving the soup sounds like a really nice touch!