Soup's on!

I got very sick earlier this week and this soup got me through it! It's actually the first soup I've ever made that wasn't cream-based, as I came from new England, where chowder was the only kind of soup worth making. 

This was fairly easy, but it did take about an hour and a half to make. Here's the ingredients list:

Chicken (I used 3 tenderloins, which are cheaper than breasts but still great white meat)

Spices (salt, pepper, paprika, crushed red pepper, lots of minced garlic and fresh basil)

Olive oil

Chicken stock

Tons of veggies! (Onion, pepper, carrots, spinach, baby kale, tomato)

I heated garlic and olive oil in a skillet and added the chicken, which I shredded with a fork once tender. I cooked the onions and peppers with it, too, and added all other spices except for the fresh basil. While that was cooking, I poured my chicken stock into a large pot and chopped my carrots and tomato. I tore up the spinach and kale by hand, then added it with the carrots to the pot and let them boil for 10 minutes. Next I used a spatula to add all the oil, spices, and other contents of the skillet to the pot and turned the burner down to low. At this point, I just needed to let it simmer for about an hour, adding fresh crushed basil for the last 5 minutes only, which kept its flavor potent.

All the veggies are loaded with vitamins, plus garlic and onions provide immune system support naturally! The other spices pack in lots of flavor and chicken is an excellent source of lean protein. If desired, you can add rice or another grain, but it's not necessary. I chose to keep this soup grain-free to keep the calories low, which also means that it's naturally gluten-free!

Even if you're not sick, this hearty soup is still a great meal option, so laddle up a bowl and enjoy!