The chill is definitely in the air and near the fire is where I want to be enjoying a bowl of chicken soup.
Whenever my grandmother cooked something awesome, which was often, she would say, “it’s so good it can awaken even a corpse!” I used to smile whenever she said that because quite frankly, she said it all the time. Perhaps that’s where my love of cooking comes from. Needless to say, I could never measure up to her skills but I did learn a lot when she was around. In reality my chicken soup does not deliver that kind of power, but I assure you, it’s pretty darn close!
I’d like to share with you a recipe that I believe you will use over and over again. If you’re like me, a very busy woman, wife, mom, etc., there aren’t enough hours in the day to cook all the things you would like to. And in my home, heating things in the microwave does not constitute cooking nor is it accepted! However, time is precious and as such we must spend it wisely, which brings me to this recipe. I am able to make a very hearty, flavorful and healthy soup for my family to enjoy and I can do it as soon as I get home from work with a few items that most of us may already have in the kitchen. But enough of the chatter, let’s get to it…
Ingredients
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken (2-3 lbs.) skin & bones removed, meat shredded
- 3 Tablespoons of butter
- 1/2 medium Vidalia or Yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small package frozen mixed vegetables
Directions
- Over medium high heat, melt butter in a large pot.
- Add onions and cook stirring occasionally until tender and slightly golden, 5-8 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour and cook stirring for a couple of minutes. (This will create the base for the broth.) Do not let it darken, you just want to get rid of the flour taste.
- Stir in the broth, wine, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add the vegetables and the chicken and return to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer partially covered for about 10 more minutes or until desired consistency. Serve hot.
This recipe is so easy to make and so basic that you can adjust it to your liking. Sometimes I will add a handful of egg noodles along with the veggies. Other times I’ll take a medium bowl and whisk some flour, baking soda, dash of salt, sour cream and an egg to make dough for dumplings. I’ll drop spoonfuls of the dough into the soup and let it cook covered until the dumplings are plump and cooked through, about another 15 minutes.
As you can see, I just gave you two additional ways you can create a fabulous meal in a very short time. Also, when adding wine make sure to use good quality wine, do not use “cooking wine” you find in the market. That stuff contains way too much salt and it really doesn’t taste good.
Thank you for stopping by and checking out my latest recipe. I will be posting more for you to enjoy and if you get a chance to make this meal, feel free to let me know how it turned out. Buen apetito!
