Saturday, February 5, 2011

Chicken soup





This has become a staple in our house!! It's easy, cheap and super nutritious. Here's the scoop on our veggie soup!

After Roasting a chicken all day for dinner I use the juices for gravy. The chicken is then removed from the crockpot and strip the bones in a baking dish. The meat is enjoyed for dinner and the leftovers are divided, bagged and frozen. The bones, scrap meat, cartilage and such go back into the unwashed crockpot (everything but the skin goes into making stock). I then add filtered water so it's just covering the bones. Dash some salt, grind a bit of pepper, add a bayleaf and about 2 tablespoons of organic white vinegar. I set this on low and let it simmer all night. The vinegar helps break down the minerals in the bones....making this healthy stock even better :) whenever I get around to it the next day (no less than 12 hours, the longer the better) I strain the stock from the stuff and trash the "stuff".

The stock is either jarred and frozen for later recipes (I never purchase broth or stock anymore) or it is dumped right back into he unwashed crockpot for a yummy veggie soup!

For veggie soup I add the following, all organic (approximates....add or substitute for what your family likes and what you have on hand. It can be as simple or complex as you want. My ingredients and consistency of soul vary each time :)
-cup of frozen corn
-cup of green beans (fresh or frozen)
-two fresh tomatoes, diced
-baggie of crushed spinach or kale (I am lazy so I bag spinach and kale in pint freezer bags. When I want them for a meal I take them out and crush them in the bag....when frozen the leaves almost shatter....no chopping required, and no mess :)
-2 carrots thinly sliced (skin on!)
-whatever else I have that sounds fun...parsnips, potatos, onion, celery and broccoli are favorites
-1/2 to 1 cup Quinoa (depending on how soupy vs stewy you want it)
-salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaf and BRAGGS Sea Kelp Season Mix to taste

I leave the crock pot on low all day and we have a fragrant house along with fantastic dinner!!

If I'm feeling extra lazy I simply let the crockpot cool a bit (cool enough to pick it up but still warm) and put the "pot" portion in my fridge on a dish towel. Wake up the next morning, put it back in the heating base on low and vualoa....yummy lunch and snacks (ours is simmering a second day as I type). Tonight I will freeze it in individual servings for hubby to take as a lunch rotation next week :). Tonight my crockpot will get a rest.....until Monday morning that is :)

This girls not messing around!!


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