The basis of this recipe comes from my roommates brother, Colin – the best professional chef I’ve been able to watch cook. He initially made this over the fire in Big Sur, and I’ve added ingredients and adapted it to a home kitchen. It’s a good opportunity to practice making a roux, which is a very useful technique to feel confident with for stews, gravy, and pan sauces. You can also add thick egg noodles and make a very hearty chicken-noodle soup.
Chicken-Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 or 3 large carrots
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 parsnips
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 large white or yellow onion
- 2 large russet potatoes or 5-6 gold
- 1 large bunch of spinach
- 1 medium/large head of broccoli
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken
- 2 tbs olive oil may need more
- 2 tbs flour
- 1 c white wine
- 1 qt chicken stock
- 1 pt hot water
- 2 tsp sage
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 small bunch rosemary
- 2 T dried thyme
- 1-2 dashes Cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Prep:
- Peel carrots and potatoes.
- Cut carrots in half horizontally, then into roughly 1/2 inch pieces. Cut celery into 1/2 inch pieces, as close to the same size as the carrots as possible.
- Dice onion into 1/4 inch pieces.
- Cut broccoli into individual heads, reducing the stem length when necessary.
- Roughly chop spinach into large pieces.
- Cut potatoes into 3/4 inch pieces. Cut chicken into similar bite-size pieces.
- Stew:
- In large pot add 2 tbs olive oil, then carrots and celery and turn to med-low heat. Let sweat for 1-2 minutes then add onions and garlic. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until mirepoix begins to soften and release moisture.
- Add flour slowly, stirring constantly.
- Add wine and stir. Let simmer until very thick and slightly bubbling. Season heavily with salt and pepper.
- Add chicken stock and 1 c of water. Add potatoes, parsnips, and chicken. Season with herbs.
- Let cook for roughly 20 minutes or until potatoes are 90% cooked and mostly soft.
- Add broccoli and cook for additional 5 minutes. If stew has boiled down too much, add remaining cup of water to increase amount of broth.
- Add spinach and stir to incorporate. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds. If using frozen spinach cook time will be a little longer. Add cayenne pepper and additional salt and pepper if needed.