Chicken Potato Soup!

On the last day of this season’s farmers’ market my favorite farmer brought an extra special treat that he hadn’t delivered the entire year – POTATOES! There were bags full of big, beautiful, lumpy, red and white tubers. I was enticed immediately. I love potatoes; they are the ultimate comfort food. My family feels the same, and this always lets me feel free to bring all kinds of potatoey treats to our table.

Of course now it is fall, and I felt the urge to make soup with those babies. I let my eyes check out the other veggies for sale, all the time feeling the urgency of the LAST MARKET. I grabbed the onion and garlic, then spotted the fresh parsley. A rich broth would come easy. (I personally believe that a nice, homemade stock makes or breaks a soup. It’s not hard, it’s clean, delicious, and SO YUMMY!) In our house once the weather turns cooler, “Soup Saturday” is declared and it is a sure bet that on any given Saturday if you stop by you can ladle out a bowl. We don’t do fancy or crazy; simple and yummy like my mom would make is just fine. This soup has secured a place on our menu!

By the time I left the market that day I had my idea down. I needed a few items from the grocery – like the chicken – but my basic idea was good to go!

Chicken broth – Add the following to pot. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low boil and cook til chicken isn’t pink.

1 onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 c. split peas (optional)

1 bunch parsley, chopped

1 package chicken thighs

half a large stock pot of water

salt and pepper

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

1 tsp. cumin

Remove chicken from pot, chop, and return to pot. Add:

1/2 can white chili beans

2 large carrots, chopped/sliced

1 poblano or other mildish pepper, chopped finely

1/2 pkg. white button mushrooms (5-6 large), sliced

4 large potatoes, cubed

1 bunch kale, chopped

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until veggies are tender. 

I hope you enjoy this simple soup as much as we did. It’s a different take on the classic chicken and noodles, but just as tasty!