chicken and vegetable soup

The kids liked this one and asked me to put this recipe on the site. I made it up to use what was on hand. This was the one I put the container of cauliflower I'd chopped the other day into, the leftover bacon from breakfast, and the basil from the front porch plant.

  • 3 chicken thigh and 3 chicken leg pieces

  • 1 cauliflower head

  • 1 large potato

  • 1/2 yellow onion

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • water

  • chicken bullion powder

  • 2 carrots

  • flour

  • salt

  • pepper

  • barley

  • bay leaves

  • oregano

  • thyme

  • fresh basil

  • 6 pieces chopped bacon

1. Put the chicken, barley, and some bay leaves in a pot with water and bring it to a full boil over medium high heat with the lid on. Then simmer it for not too long, maybe 15 minutes or so. Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and put them in the fridge to cool. Put the pot of water in the fridge as well to keep. You put the barley in with the chicken because barley takes a while to cook. Read the instructions on the barley package to see the precise cook times. Or here, this site shows you the exact cook times - http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_cooking_101/shopping_cooking_guides/whole_grain_cooking_guide

2. Fry the bacon strips crisp and chop them to crumbles.

3. Rinse and chop the cauliflower, onion, carrots, and potato.

4. When the chicken is cool strip the meat from the bones, shred it into bite size pieces, and return it to the pot.

5. Put the pot back over medium high heat with the lid on to return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add all of the vegetables and the bacon and stir. When the water gets back to a full boil remove the lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Now you're just going to cook it until the vegetables are done, and the barley of course as well.

6. Take the skin off the garlic and smash it into the pot. Chop the basil and add it to the soup. Add some salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and chicken bullion powder as well. Stir well.

7. Put some flour in cold water and whisk together. Add this to the pot and stir well. This is to thicken the soup.

8. Continue to cook the soup until the vegetables have desired level of doneness, and of course that the barley is done as well. Then taste test and adjust the seasonings and bullion as desired. Remove from heat and serve.

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chicken and vegetable soup