There is little more soothing than a nice big bowl of hearty homemade soup at the end of a busy day. I can feel myself decompressing and a delicious warmth taking over already by just thinking about it!
The following modified recipe comes from thepioneerwoman.com and is another example of how easy it is to alter a tasty looking recipe from the web to suit your healthy eating plan.
This soup easily dispels the prevailing myth that eating well means starving yourself. It will fill you up and leave you feeling great! **Look for my changes in bold.
Italian Chicken Soup
Original recipe from thepioneerwoman.com.
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 box Ditalini Pasta (very Short Macaroni-type Pasta Noodles) (I would substitute precooked quinoa for the pasta and add about 1/4 cup to each bowl right before serving. About 1 cup uncooked quinoa should do)
1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken
8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (Homemade is always best)
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
2 whole Green Bell Peppers, Diced
2 stalks Celery, Diced
2 whole Fresh Jalapenos, Diced (Omit these if you like or, if you like it a little less spicy, add less of them – being sure to remove the seeds – or a little cayenne pepper to taste.)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 can (28-ounce) Can Whole Tomatoes (If you cannot tolerate tomatoes, omit these. Otherwise, fresh is best)
2 cups Heavy Cream (I would omit this entirely).
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Oregano
Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
Parmesan Cheese Shavings, For Serving (Again, I would omit the dairy and substitute a fresh herb such as chopped parsley).
Preparation Instructions
Instead of the pasta, cook 1 cup of quinoa according to the package and set aside.
Place chicken in a large pot or dutch oven and cover in chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer chicken, covered, for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and shred meat. Discard bones and set meat aside.
Dice canned (or fresh) tomatoes and return them to their juice. Set aside.
Heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and oregano and turn off heat, stirring over the next minute to keep oregano from burning. Set this aside.
Either pour off chicken broth into a separate container or use a new pot to saute onion, green pepper, celery, and jalapenos in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add chicken broth, shredded chicken, and tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the oregano and olive oil from the small skillet. Stir to combine. Turn off heat.
Fill each bowl with 1/4 cup of cooked quinoa, then the soup. Serve with parsley sprinkled on top.
Enjoy!
Clinically diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 28, Pam chose an alternative approach to recovery. Now decades later and still symptom free, she coaches others on how to treat the root cause of chronic disease, using a holistic approach. She can teach you how, too.
Pam is the author of Become a Wellness Champion and founder of Live Disease Free. She is a wellness expert, coach and speaker.
The Live Disease Free Academy has helped hundreds of Wellness Champions in over 15 countries take charge of their health and experience profound improvements in their life.
