Spring Veggie Soup
Spring veggie soup with chicken; because rain, in May.
Inspiration:
It rains in Bend every May. You think it’s almost summer and then the mountains remind us who is in charge and we get a chilly day or two. Sounds like a great reason to make a spring veggie soup with chicken.
I love soup: it’s easy to make, hard to mess up, and gets better the longer it sits in the fridge. I feel like every Spring I am on the hunt for a soup that isn’t too heavy and that’s chock full of all the green seasonal veggies.
My sister brings this awesome soup to H&B and I hope you get the chance to try it. Think of it as a lighter take on minestrone with lots of healthy, vibrant veggies. If you’re up for it, while the soup is cooking make the green pistou as a soup topper; you won’t regret it.
Ingredients:
Serves 4-6
Soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ yellow onion, roughly chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon chile flakes
2 stalks celery, chopped, leaves reserved
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped, fronds reserved
1 leek, halved lengthwise and chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound chicken thighs
8 cups chicken stock or bone broth
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 cup fava or lima beans, fresh or frozen
½ pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper
optional Pistou:
1 ½ cup mixed herbs, finely chopped (use the reserved celery leaves, fennel fronds, and whatever you have on hand--parsley, chives, cilantro, dill…)
2 tablespoons toasted almonds (or other nut of your choice), finely chopped
¼ cup olive oil
½ lemon, juiced
Instructions:
To make the soup:
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, lemon zest, chile flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to coat and let the onion soften slightly. Add the thyme and the rest of the vegetables except for the peas, asparagus, and fava beans. Season with salt and pepper and stir to coat.
Once the veggies are aromatic, pour in the stock and add the chicken. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pot. Pull the meat off the bones. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add it back to the pot along with the peas, asparagus, favas, and beans. Turn the heat up to medium and once the soup boils, cook for about 3 or 4 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
To make the pistou (optional):
Mix the herbs, almonds, olive oil, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. The pistou should be thick and chunky, with a lemony kick.
To serve, ladle into bowls and top with a spoonful of the pistou & grate parmesan for people to stir into their soup.
A few notes:
The highlight of this soup is that it utilizes what is in season. Feel free to use this as a blank canvas as to what sounds good, what’s fresh, and go with what you are feeling. I’ve added fresh green beans, fingerling potatoes and subbed lima beans for fava beans. I even think adding a grain such as wild rice or pearled couscous could be a great option.
What is the deal with fennel? Fennel is a root vegetable in the carrot family. It’s loaded with vitamin C and a side of iron, potassium and fiber. You can eat the entire bulb and stalks which carry a texture similar to celery. Think of the fronds (the top) as an herb, similar to dill. Fennel has a mlid licorice flavor when raw, but takes on a sweeter flavor when cooked.
This soup can easily be made vegetarian by omitting chicken and replacing the chicken bone broth with veggie stock.
Herbs, fresh herbs & lemon zest bringing all the flavors.
The pistou is completely optional but totally delicious, so you should just make it.
I will take any excuse to serve something with crusty bread, so there you go.