Chicken Spinach Pesto Soup

Yes, it has been perfect weather for making soup here in So Cal, which means it is probably soup weather in most of the country.  Have you made a good soup lately? I would love to give it a try :]  Post a comment below with a link to the recipe and I just may feature it.   I found this recipe on EatingWell.  

 

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divide

1/2 cup carrot (or if you're funny about cooked carrots, use bell pepper)

1/2 onion, chopped (I added)

2 cups shredded chicken

1 large clove garlic, minced

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram (I didn't have any, so I used a mixture of Thyme and Basil)

6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add carrot (or bell pepper) and onion; cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. 

Stir in broth and marjoram (or basil & thyme); bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.

Add spinach and beans to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, Parmesan and basil in a food processor. Process until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water and scraping down the sides as necessary.

 Stir the chicken and pesto into the pot. Season with pepper. Heat until hot. 

Serve with croutons, french bread, or saltines :] 

This soup is pretty darn good.  And the best part?  It's healthy!

According to EatingWell, the nutrition facts are as follows:

Nutrition

Per serving: 204 calories; 8 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 29 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 6 g fiber; 691 mg sodium; 529 mg potassium.


Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (110% daily value), Folate & Vitamin C (20% dv).

You can't really beat that.

I've already made this twice in two weeks!  Which is a big deal, because I am always making new things.  Can't wait to try out your soup recipes!  Leave a link below :]

<3 Saleena

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe is very tasty.  And if you make the make-ahead chicken and rice, it will literally take less than 15 minutes!  I got this recipe here.

Ingredients:

1 quart chicken broth

1 cup tomato salsa (2 tomatoes & 1/3 cup cilantro)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus 4 lime wedges

1 1/2 cups Pulled Chicken ( < find recipe here)

3 cups Rice Pilaf ( < find recipe here)

Dash of red pepper flakes

Optional toppings:

Shredded Monterey Jack

Sour cream

Avocado, thinly sliced

Cilantro

Crushed Tortilla Chips

Directions:

In medium pot, bring broth and lime juice to boil. Add chicken and red pepper flakes.

Once chicken is heated through, add rice and tomato salsa.  

After a minute, rice and tomatoes should be hot.  (Don't over cook or rice will become soggy and tomatoes will disintegrate)

Transfer to bowl and add toppings.  Easiest meal ever!

<3 Saleena

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