Simple Supper Friday: Chicken Spaghetti Soup
Chicken spaghetti soup.
The night I made this soup, I asked Jesse what he wanted for dinner. He suggested spaghetti squash with meat sauce, but I told him I didn’t feel like spaghetti. We’d been having it for dinner quite a bit and I felt like I needed a break. What’s funny, is that the recipe I whipped up is basically a thinner and soupier spaghetti sauce with squash noodles mixed in. Hence the name, spaghetti soup. So, I ended up eating a variation of spaghetti anyway. I guess I must have wanted it unconsciously.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed ghee
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large carrots, grated
- 1.5 cups frozen kale
- 2 cups no-sugar added marinara sauce (I used Monte Bene Spicy Marinara)
- 1 26.4 oz box Pomi chopped tomatoes (or a 28 oz can)
- 2-3 cups bone broth (or decent store bought broth/stock)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- Red pepper flakes to taste, optional
- 1/2 large cooked spaghetti squash, scraped into strands with fork
- Italian herb-infused olive oil for drizzling, optional, but highly recommended
Directions:
- Melt the ghee in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and ground chicken. Saute a few minutes, breaking up the ground chicken with a spatula. Then, add the celery and mushrooms and continue to cook, until the meat is fully browned.
- Add the marinara sauce, tomatoes, frozen kale, grated carrots, broth and seasonings, and mix well. Bring soup to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and let cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cooked spaghetti squash strands and adjust seasonings if need be. Serve with Italian herb-infused olive oil drizzled on top, if desired.
Yields: 5-6 servings
Simple Supper Friday: Carrot Ginger Chicken Soup
Carrot ginger chicken soup.
I formerly made this soup when I was a vegetarian, which I adapted from a Vitamix recipe. Now that I eat meat, I decided to revamp it with some animal protein. I used to make it with chickpeas, but as you know, I don’t eat beans anymore. This soup tastes delicious all by itself too, but I like one-dish meals and didn’t want to opt for my protein on the side. Plus, I love me a hearty bowl of soup!
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp grass-fed butter (coconut oil works too if you don’t do butter)
- 1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1 navel orange, peeled and separated into slices
- 1/4 inch piece of orange peel
- 1 lb cooked & shredded boneless skinless chicken breast
- 4 cups chicken broth (bone broth is ideal if you have some made)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Pinch of cayenne
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 cups chopped kale
The veggies can be chopped into larger pieces because the blender will take care of it.
The soup, whirling in the Vitamix.
Mixing in the kale.
- In a large skillet or soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and ginger. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until onions are translucent.
- Add two cups of broth to the mixture and let simmer until carrots are soft.
- Add the orange slices, orange peel and cooked vegetable mixture to the blender. Blend for 30-60 seconds. Add remaining broth and blend again.
- Pour soup back into the pot over low heat. Add the cayenne, coriander, shredded chicken and kale. Season with more sea salt and pepper if needed and desired.
- Once the kale has softened down after a few minutes, the soup is ready.
Yep, that’s green grass in the background. Don’t be fooled though … it’s still cold here!
I know it’s not the prettiest, but it does taste really good!
Simple Supper Friday: Chicken Turkey “Noodle” Soup
Chicken turkey “noodle” soup.
It turns out, I had a little more leftover Thanksgiving turkey than I thought (yay!), and since I wanted to make soup with it, that’s what I did. I added chicken as well to make the soup go further. I had half of a spaghetti squash leftover in the fridge and thought I’d see how it’d fare as noodles in the soup. I was hesitant because I didn’t want a bunch of soggy squash stands, but it worked great. Actually, this turned out to be the best variation of a chicken soup I have ever made. Seriously. I didn’t want to stop eating it because it tasted so satisfying, flavorful and delicious. I admit though, making soup with bone broth makes it that much richer and more flavorful, and makes a huge difference.
In fact, this soup is so delicious, I couldn’t stop thinking about it in yoga the next morning and made up my mind right then and there that I was having it for breakfast. And I did. And then I had some again at dinner. It is that good. I would’ve eaten up the rest this morning, but I told Jesse I’d save it for him.
- 2 cups leftover Thanksgiving turkey meat, chopped
- 1 lb cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
- 8 cups broth (I used a combo of bone broth & Imagine Organics Low Sodium Chicken Broth)
- 2 Tbsp grass-fed ghee or fat of choice
- 1 leek, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped (add the leaves too!)
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Pepper to taste
- Pinch of cayenne
- 2 cups cooked spaghetti squash strands (about 1/2 of a large squash)
- Chives for garnish, optional
The soup is ready for the “noodles!”
Directions:
- In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the ghee. Add the chopped leek, celery and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes. Then, add the chopped carrots.
- Mix in the spices, sea salt, pepper, turkey, chicken and broth (note, if you need more broth than the recommended 8 cups, feel free to add a bit more). Bring to a simmer. Then reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and continue to simmer for at least 20 minutes or longer if you have the time (up to 60 minutes). This allows the flavors to meld together.
- Finally, add in the spaghetti squash strands and mix until heated through.
- Serve with chopped fresh chives, if using.
Yields: 5-6 servings
The best medicine.
Curried Chicken Soup
Curried chicken soup.
This is a recipe that I previously made as a vegetarian and really enjoyed. Surprisingly though, I think I only made it a total of one time. I feel like I have a lot of recipes like that, actually — I make something, am totally into it, and then forget about it somehow. Regardless, I’m glad I remembered it because it has fantastic flavors and a nice little kick. It’s no longer vegetarian because I added chicken to it to beef it up, but if you are a veggie and read my blog, just omit the chicken. Side note here, but this soup warms me up so much that I have to turn the heat off when I eat it (no exaggeration). It’s either that or shed layers, and I prefer to eat with my clothes on.
- 1 lb cooked chicken breasts, shredded
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter or other fat of choice
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1-inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups of chopped cauliflower florets
- 2 cups of chopped bok choy
- 2 cups homemade bone broth (or decent store-bought chicken broth)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened almond butter
- 1-1/2 cups full-fat coconut milk
- 1-1/2 Tbsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne (or more if you want it spicier)
- Cilantro for garnishing, optional
Directions:
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and sauté a few minutes, until onion is translucent.
- Mix in the curry, allspice, sea salt, cumin, cauliflower and bok choy, and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
- In a separate small saucepan, mix the almond butter and 3/4 cup of broth together over medium heat. Once the mixture is smooth, add it to the vegetables and stir for a couple minutes.
- Add the shredded chicken, remaining broth, coconut milk and cayenne. Heat for about 5 minutes, or until heated through.
- Serve with cilantro garnished on top, if using.
Mmm…creamy and nutty, not to mention filling.
Up close and personal.
Simple Supper Friday: Tomato Fennel Soup
Tomato fennel soup. My favorite part? The big chunks of beef stew meat. The more, the better! We ate our soup on top of mashed squash. Extra hearty!
It’s that time again … pull out your slow cooker! Wahoo, I love slow cooker meals. It makes dinnertime such a pinch. Seriously, I don’t know what I’d do without mine. If you don’t have one, I strongly suggest getting one. They’re super affordable and worth every penny.
Initially, I wasn’t too sure about this soup, but then it grew on me. To be honest, it tastes even better the next day because the flavors develop a lot more. This soup is great straight up, but if you want to bulk it up even more, you can eat it on top of mashed squash like Jesse and I did. It was actually really tasty because the squash added a nice sweetness to the soup. Plus, we pretty much love squash with everything. We used a red kuri — one of my newfound favorites. I don’t know why I never bought this kind before. The flavor reminds me of a buttercup and it’s so, so good! Again though, this is totally optional. You’ll see it served over squash in the photos (I had to take photos indoors again — not my favorite).
Ingredients:
- 2 lb grass-fed beef stew meat
- 1 fennel bulb, chopped
- 1 – 28oz can diced tomatoes (I used 1-quart of my mom’s canned tomatoes she sent me)
- 2 cups chicken or beef bone broth (or decent store bought broth/stock)
- 1 Tbsp ghee
- 2 cups frozen kale (or fresh)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp ground fennel
- 1 tsp ground sage
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp cayenne (stick with 1/4 if you don’t like things really spicy)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Flat-leaf parsley for garnishing, optional
My mom’s tomatoes. Secret ingredient: love.
TIme to dish it up!
Directions:
- Add chopped fennel to the slow cooker and top with remaining ingredients, except for the kale and parsley if using.
- Set slow cooker to low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-6.
- Once done or nearly done, stir in the kale. Stir until kale is thawed if using frozen or softened if using fresh. Serve with parsley garnished on top, if using. Optional to serve on top of mashed squash of choice.
A hearty meal for those chilly, blustery fall days.
Simple Supper Friday: Sirloin Vegetable Soup
Sirloin vegetable soup with an almond flour biscuit.
I admit, this soup isn’t out of this world amazing or anything, but it is darn good, quick and easy (ultimately the point of ‘Simple Supper Friday’). Additionally, you can add any vegetables you like. It’s kind of a free-for-all, so have fun and play with it to your liking. I personally think bell peppers would be awesome in this soup, but I don’t tolerate bell peppers well at all, so avoid them whenever possible. They make me bloated and hurt my stomach. Funny, because I’m fine with all other nightshades … it’s just those pesky bell peppers!
Ingredients:
- 32 oz bone broth or beef stock
- 12 oz grass-fed top sirloin (I used a combo of eye of round and top sirloin)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 8 oz can of tomato sauce (make sure there’s no sugar in it!)
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, butter or ghee
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 small zucchini, chopped
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups fresh or frozen kale
My kitchen helper … very handy to have!
Directions:
- Thinly slice the meat on a diagonal. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of the sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, stir together the broth/stock, tomato sauce and thyme. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef slices and cook, turning once, for a couple minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the onion, garlic, zucchini and remaining 1/4 tsp sea salt. Toss to mix well and add 2 Tbsp of the water. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender. If the pan gets dry, add the remaining tablespoon of water.
- Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often, for a couple minutes. Then add the fresh or frozen kale and stir for 2-3 more minutes or until softened.
- Add the beef and any juices, and the vegetables to the broth mixture. Warm through, but don’t boil.
- Serve with almond flour biscuits.
Fresh batch of almond flour biscuits.
Look at that … it’s chuck full of veggies! My favorite part is the pieces of grass-fed beef though, and the broth. So flavorful.
