The Best Chicken Soup

We are all convinced that this is the best chicken soup recipe we have ever had! It's Paleo and, it's so easy! Thank you to our friend and excellent cook, Sarah Waldron, for the recipe and her variations, which we think make it that much better.

1 small whole chicken (4-5 pounds) We've been using the new "smart" chicken at New Seasons
1 leek, white part only, diced
8 crushed cloves of garlic
2 stalks celery, diced
4 large carrots, scrubbed or peeled and sliced
5 large sprigs of thyme
1 golf ball size knob of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1-2 Tbsp sea salt
5 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry sherry

Place your leek, garlic, celery, carrots, thyme, and ginger in the bottom of a 6 qt or larger crockpot. Place your whole chicken on top of the vegetables, add stock and sherry and salt. Cover and cook on igh for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours (until the chicken is cooked through and falling off the bone). Remove the chicken from the crock pot to a large plate or backing sheet, let cool slightly and then shred all the meat with your hands (discard bones, skin, cartilage, etc.) Add the meat back to the broth and vegetables and serve warm. It's also delicious to add a bit of diced avocado to each bowl before adding the hot soup.

Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

"Sweet potato soup is made Asian style with coconut milk and curry paste. This soup is easy to make and unbelievably good!" The thin slices of ginger cook in the broth, becoming soft enough to eat... so tasty. Introduced to me by friend Rayme, at a Book Group dinner.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (yams) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced 1 tablespoon red curry paste 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place the sweet potatoes directly on the rack and bake until tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and heat for 1 minute, then whisk in the coconut milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. 3. Remove the skins from the sweet potatoes and cut into smallish bite size chunks. Add to the soup and cook for 5 more minutes so they can soak up the flavor. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of sesame oil and a little bit of cilantro. I add about 1-2 tsp. toasted sesame oil directly to the soup, along with the cilantro and then drizzle and garnish with a bit more.

1 (15 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk 3 cups vegetable broth 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Hearty Sausage Soup a la Kathleen

Served to rave reviews at my Portland Book Group, I thank Kathleen for this hearty, tasty, easy recipe! Serves 5-6

1 lb. chicken sausage (some spicy, some mild, depending on your taste, or just sprinkle in a little red pepper flakes)
1 medium onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
2 large carrots diced
1 large red potato diced
2 tsp. (I use more) Italian seasoning
2 cans chicken stock (14 oz ea)
1 can white beans (undrained 14 oz) - garbanzo and/or cannallini beans

Saute onions and garlic with sausage until browned. Add carrots, potatoes, and seasonings and cook 3 minutes - or more. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until it is done to your liking. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with grated Romano cheese and fresh cilantro.

Roasted Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

This is so delicious...and easy! My friend, Anne, served it for book group lunch and everyone raved. Same thing when I served it to friends for dinner. Yum! I'm already looking forward to the leftovers. Serves 4.

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 med. butternut squash (2 1/2 lbs.), peeled, seeded and diced med.
1 med. onion, diced
2 T. olive oil
Salt and Pepper
4 c. chicken broth
1/4 t. cumin
1/4 t. coriander
1 T. lemon juice
Choice of garnishes: cilantro, fresh herbs, pine nuts, etc.

Heat oven to 425. In roasting pan, toss together chicken, squash, onion, and oil.
Season w/ salt and pepper.
Roast 30 min., or til cooked through
Put chicken on plate to cool.
Transfer squash and onion to soup pot. Add broth, cumin, and coriander.
Bring to a simmer over med-hi heat.
Mash or blend some squash til soup is thick and chunky.
Discard bones and skin from chicken, add meat (cut into bite-size chunks) to soup.
Stir in lemon juice and season w/ salt and pepper to taste.
Heat through and serve with garnishes of choice. (cilantro and pine nuts are good)

Wild Rice and Corn Chowder

A family favorite.

1/2# bacon
2 small onions, diced
1 large bell pepper (colorful), diced
4 stalks celery, sliced
8 oz. raw wild rice
1 1/2 qts. chicken stock (homemade, preferably)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp thyme
1 Tbsp basil
1/2 tsp (+ or -) crushed dry red pepper flakes
1 lb. corn (I use TJ's frozen white corn)
1 1/2 pints half & half (or part whole milk)

In a large skillet sauté bacon until nearly crisp. Add onions, bell pepper and celery and sauté with bacon 5 minutes. Drain off fat.

In a large soup pot, combine rice, stock, bacon and vegetavel mixture, garlic, thyme, basil and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat for 1 hour or until rice is done. Add corn and cream and cook 15 minutes more. Salt to taste. Serves about 8.

Fish Chowder

1 Tbsp butter
2 cups cubed potatoes
2 cups thickly sliced carrots
2 cups sliced onions
salt to taste
2 whole cloves
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups boiling water
1# thick fish fillets (halibut) cut into 1" cubes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup lowfat milk
freshly ground black pepper

In a large dutch oven melt butter, add potatoes, carrots, onion, salt, cloves, dill and bay leaf. Sauté, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 4o seconds. Add boiling water, cover tightly. Simmer over very low heat 15 minutes or until tender. Add fish and wine. Cover pot, simmer another 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Discard bay leaf, add milk and cook, stirring, until hot. Season with pepper. 4 large servings

This tried and true recipe from Peggy Bauhaus, served the first time I was ever in her kitchen, is surprisingly tasty. It's so basic and simple, quick to prepare and always hits the spot.