Chicken Soup

So I finally made a meal that didn't involve cabbage or brussel sprouts!  For the past week I have been on a cabbage kick (I think of brussel sprouts as mini-cabbage, so they count too).  I haven't even posted my red cabbage recipe since I had a feeling the blog was becoming to cabbage-centric!
Instead I am going to post about simple chicken soup, which has some unusual veggies in it.  I mean, not really unusual, but unusual in the sense that when you think of chicken soup, you don't think of: kale, sweet potatoes and mushrooms.

But it was good!  And it filled me up and is apparently full of good-for-you stuff.  What's your favorite chicken soup recipe?  Does it have any "unusual" ingredients?

Chicken Soup
Inspired by Chicken Soup Recipe in Clean Eating, Jan. 2012
Ingredients:
9-10 C chicken broth
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
1 bunch (about 10 oz) kale, washed, stems removed and torn into pieces
8 oz thickly sliced white mushrooms
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut crosswise into bite size pieces
1/4 tsp - 1/2 tsp garlic powder (depending how much you like garlic!)
1/4 tsp paprika
salt and pepper

Instructions:

In stockpot, bring chicken broth to boil and add potatoes and simmer until almost tender, about 7 minutes.  Add kale and mushrooms and simmer for about 5 more minutes.  Add chicken and spices and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. 
Ladle into bowls and serve.   You can top with a little parmesan cheese if you would like!

Harvest Stew

I am not entirely sure where my mom got this recipe, but she has been making it for years.  I am not even sure if this is the actual recipe, or if this is what it has just evolved to over time.  I have never written it down; just memorized it.  It's so good and it's one of my favorites to make in the fall!

Harvest Stew
Ingredients:
1 lb bulk sausage (or 1 lb of links, casings removed, sausage cut into rounds)
3-4 parsnips, cleaned and sliced
1 rutabaga, peeled and chopped
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
2-4 carrots, cleaned and sliced
1 15 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes (use juice!)
4-6 C chicken broth
3-4 sprigs of parsley, chopped

Instructions:
Spray a large stockpot with some cooking spray and add sausage.  Brown sausage over medium heat.  Once sausage is browned, add veggies and stir until fragrant (about 2 mins).  Add chicken broth, tomatoes and parsley.  Stir and let the soup come to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until veggies are tender, about 45 mins to an hour.  Serve with bread and a salad.

Sausage and Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Okay, I broke down and went to the grocery store.  I couldn't have grilled chicken breast for another dinner this week!  I just couldn't.

So instead I got chicken sausage.

In general, I usually get turkey sausage, but ever since the massive recall of the ground turkey, I am just freaked out about turkey in general.  What about you?

Back to the chicken sausage.  I picked up that as well as some diced tomatoes and kale.  The original plan was to follow a recipe for Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Collard Greens & Potatoes, but the store did not have collard greens.  So I figured I would sub in kale and some broccoli rabe that I had at home.  And the recipe didn't call for sausage, but we are meat-eating folk, so I added that in as well. 

I liked the soup.  So did the Toddler.  The Husband said it was too spicy (I didn't put any spices in, just a little black pepper, so maybe the sausage was too spicy for him?).

Sausage and Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Inspired by Clean Eating Mag's recipe for Black Eyed Pea Stew

Ingredients:
1 package of 4-5 links of sausage, sliced or crumbled
4 C low sodium broth (I used chicken broth, but you can use veggie broth)
4 oz. kale, chopped
4 oz. broccoli rabe, chopped
1 14.5 oz can of no-salt added diced tomatoes
12 oz. red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 15.5 oz can black-eyed peas, rinsed and rained
ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Spray bottom of Dutch oven or large sauce pan and brown sausage.  Remove sausage.  To saucepan, add broth and 2 C water, bring to boil. Add kale and broccoli rabe to liquid and simmer for about 10 mins. 

Add tomatoes and potatoes and return to simmer.  Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes.  Stir in peas and sausage and simmer until heated through.  Season with pepper to taste.