Chicken Soup with Vegetables

Chicken Soup for the soul.. These dropping temperatures definitely have me craving some soup. And chicken soup is definitely my go-to! It isn't particularly a quick recipe, but it needs minimum monitoring and can be something you've left on the back burner while you finish other tasks. It is also a one pot and in my case, a one pot and one chopping board recipe.. So here's your not-so-quick but easy fix for the winter.

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 70 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken legs (I usually cut mine in half, so I have 3 thighs and 3 drumsticks)
• 1 cube of maggi chicken flavor Bouillon cube (you could also replace this wih either homemade or store-bought chicken broth)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 5-6 Peppercorns 
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme (fresh thyme would definitely enhance the flavor, but I don't usually have fresh thyme available)
• 1 bay leaf
• 6-8 baby carrots diced
• 1 medium yellow onion sliced 
• 2 medium ribs of celery
• 3-4 mushrooms
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Any fresh herbs that you would like to add to the mix. I usually use my go-to: Mrs. Dash seasoning and some fresh parsley and coriander since I grow them at home. 

You can also vary with the vegetables and flavors you have readily available at home. The idea of this soup is to use as many of the extra veggies you have at home and modifying the flavor according to your personal taste.

Directions:

1. Using a sharp knife, cut out all the meat from the bones. In a large pot, cover the meat and the bones and carcass with water. Add the chicken bouillon, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaf.
2. Heat the stock over medium-high heat for about 30 mins. Once the chicken has changed color, reduce the temperature to medium heat and let it cook for another 15 mins. Add more water if it feels necessary. Remove the meat and set it aside to cool. (If you are using fresh thyme, this would be the right time to remove it from the stock mixture). 
3. Bring the soup to a simmer and continue cooking for another 10 mins, skimming as needed. Now add the ground thyme, salt and pepper. If the broth is too cloudy, you could use a fine-mesh strainer to clarify it. This is a personal preference, I usually like the froth in my broth.
4. Once the chicken has cooled, remove any leftover meat from the bones, and shred the remaining meat to bite-sized pieces. Return all this meat back to the pot and return to a simmer.
5. Add the diced vegetables, and other dried herbs that you would like to add to you soup. Finish off with the fresh parsley and or other fresh herbs that you would like to add in.
6. Last but not the least, add the lemon juice and give it a good stir before you take it off the heat. 

Another variation to the soup would be to blend all the boiled vegetables and add the chicken to the blended mixture. This would be ideal for all those picky eaters who won't eat vegetables once they see them.. Serve Hot! I usually like my soup with some bread or crackers. I hope you enjoy this recipe. I would love you hear your variations in the comments as well. 

 A light and simple recipe after all that holiday eating. Wishing you and your family a happy holidays and in case I don't write another post in the next few days, wishing you a Happy New Year as well..