Ultimate Recipe Swap: Soup’s On!

Our recent move has brought us just two miles from the ocean. Amazing what a climate change a few miles can make. Ocean breezes and smells, a little morning fog, and cooler temps. Perfect timing for fall. Some nights have definitely been appropriate for soup.

I could eat soup everyday, but the FishKids? Not so much. But, during Fall and Winter I try to make it a once a week thing. Soup is an amazingly frugal and easy meal to make on your own. I learned how years ago when I received this book as a wedding gift. While I rarely follow any of the exact recipes, the beauty of the book is that it teaches you how to make soup from anything you have in the house. Love that!

With some trial and error, I’ve developed a few soups that the kids will devour with gusto. This is one of them. I usually bake chicken one night and then use the leftovers and the drippings to make this soup. Delish!

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 T. olive oil or chicken fat
1 onion, grated
2 carrots, grated
1 small zucchini, grated
8 cups chicken broth (low-salt commercial brand or homemade)
8-16 ounces egg noodles, amount depends on your family’s tastes
1 t. marjoram
1 t. dried parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cooked chicken breasts, skin and bone removed, meat shredded or chopped into ½-inch chunks.

In large soup pot, heat oil or fat. Sauté onion until clear. Stir in carrots and zucchini and cook a few minutes more. Stir in broth. Bring to boil and stir in egg noodles. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Stir in marjoram, parsley, salt and pepper, and chicken meat. Simmer another 15 minutes.

These times are approximate. So remember to taste and adjust according to what you like.

What’s your favorite soup? Share your recipe with us for this week’s Ultimate Recipe Swap.

*Sorry, no photo. I thought I downloaded it to my external hard drive before the move. Alas, I did not. It’s in the garage, in a computer, out of reach, buried by five million boxes.