Moxie’s Hearty “Get Well” Soup

Whole30 Approved

 

After a very long Summer, we have been experiencing some much needed cooler climate weather and RAIN! With that comes the dreaded cold season.  I have a few feel good, head and nose cleansing soups up my sleeve but after getting hit myself and not eating much for two days, I thought this heart chicken and garden veggie soup was in order.

Normally I like to make all of my own stock but when energy is low, pre-made works just as well.

 

You’ll Need:

• 4 medium sized boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 heads of cauliflower
• 3 yellow squash, cut in 4 spears, then into chunks
• 3 zucchini, sliced then cut into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 bunch of celery, sliced into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 red onion, peeled, and chopped
• 15-20 cremini mushrooms, sliced then cut in halves
• 1 32oz carton of organic, low sodium chicken broth
• 1 quart of homemade vegetable stock {celery and onion from scraps above}
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 3-4  shakes of red pepper flakes

Method:

Roast the cauliflower:

Take off all of the green parts around the bottom but keep the cauliflower head intact. With a large sheet of aluminum foil, enough to wrap the cauliflower in a little tent like cover {so that heat stays in but it’s not tight around the head}, put the heads on top, drizzle each with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper then wrap them up. Place on a preheated grill, on the the top rack so this is not directly on the heat. I put two burners on and keep it on low. Cover and roast for about 40 minutes. The heads should feel soft but not mushy. Remove from grill, set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, clean off the leaves that were left on, cut off the flowers from the stem. Cut the flowers into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

 

Chicken:

Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.

In a stock pot, coat the bottom with olive oil, shake in a little red pepper flakes, you only want about 12-15 little flakes, just enough for a touch of heat. Add in the chicken, sear both sides on high heat for about 1 minute, just until lightly browned. Removed the chicken and set aside.

In that same stock pot, add a little more oil to coat the pan if needed, then add in the onions. Saute, stirring regularly for about 15 minutes, add in the celery, stir for about 8-10 minutes, then add in the mushrooms. Add in stock ass needed to keep the ingredients moist as the mushrooms soak up all of the juices. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring as needed. Pour the chicken stock into the pot along with the vegetable stock {you may not need all of the vegetable stock so keep some aside depending on the size of your stock pot}. Place the chicken in the pot, make sure it’s covered completely, turn up the heat to bring to a boil, then turn down to low and cover. Let cook for about 1 hour, or until the chicken falls apart.

Once chicken is soft and falling apart, break it up with a wooden spoon, add in the squash and zucchini, stir and cook for about 10-12 minutes, then add in the cauliflower pieces, stir and cover. Turn off heat, let stand for 10 minutes to let the flavors come together, then serve.

As always, this is a great soup to put into  ½ size quart containers and freeze for lunches throughout the week, or for quick dinners. Kids love this too! For my other soup recipes, check this out.

Eat Clean, Eat Healthy, & Eat Well.