All Things in Moderation

I’m more of a “country cook” than a gourmet cook. I toyed with posting my mom’s fabulous chicken-and-noodles recipe, which is at least 70 years old. Talk about comfort food! But it is laden with sodium and takes a long time to make unless you substitute store-bought ingredients for homemade ones (in which case you might as well just buy already prepared chicken-and-noodles IMO).

The soup recipe below is nothing fancy, but it tastes great, it’s healthy, it’s quick and easy, and I always have the ingredients on hand. It’s one of my favorites on a work night when I’m too tired or busy to cook because it’s ready in less than 30 minutes, not much more time-consuming and certainly healthier than heating a canned soup. It also lends itself well to adaptations with whatever flavors sound good at that moment or with whatever you have on hand (e.g., I sometimes substitute squash for the carrot and often add to the vegetables). Oh yeah, and it sure fits Michi’s penchant (which I wholeheartedly share) for not much in the way of required measuring. Add a salad or a baked potato and you have a nice supper.

Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto
(from eatingwell.com)

Ingredients
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup carrot or diced red bell pepper
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces), cut into quarters
1 large clove garlic (or to taste), minced
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram or oregano
6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup croutons for garnish (optional)

Preparation
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot (or bell pepper) and chicken; cook, turning the chicken and stirring frequently, until the chicken begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in broth and marjoram or oregano; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces to a clean cutting board to cool. Add spinach and beans to the pot, bring to a gentle boil, and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, Parmesan and basil in a food processor (a mini processor works well). Process until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water and scraping down the sides as necessary. [Substitute store-bought pesto if you must, or any other pesto recipe you prefer.]
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken and pesto into the pot. Season with pepper. Heat until hot. Garnish with croutons, if desired.

5 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Nutrition
Per serving: 204 Calories; 8 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 29 mg Cholesterol; 16 g Carbohydrates; 18 g Protein; 6 g Fiber; 691 mg Sodium; 529 mg Potassium [NOTE: Cut the sodium drastically by using homemade salt-free broth and/or homemade salt-free cooked beans]
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1 fat

Filed under: Bites and Pieces, food, Uncategorized | Tagged: soup | 17 Comments »