RecipeShare: Chicken soup with kale, garlic and sweet potatoes

Mar 2, 2015

Recipe from Stephanie A. Meyer, host of the food and health blog Fresh Tart

Serves 6 people
Your gift of $15 buys a family in need groceries to make a healthy meal.

Ingredients

• 1 roasting chicken, about 3 lbs., patted dry
• 1 Tbsp. bacon fat or vegetable oil
• 2 yellow onions, 1 coarsely chopped, 1 diced
• 6 cloves garlic, 3 smashed, 3 minced
• 2 ribs celery, 1 halved, 1 diced
• 2 carrots, 1 halved, 1 diced
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 6 c. water
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt plus more to finish
• 2 slices bacon, diced
• 1/2 bunch lacinato (Tuscan) kale, ribs removed, sliced thin
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled & diced
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 large garden-ripe tomato, diced
• freshly ground black pepper
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Make the broth:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Heat a Dutch oven or casserole with a tight fitting lid over medium high heat. Add the bacon fat or oil and when hot, add the chicken and brown it thoroughly all over. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
3. Turn heat to down to medium and add the coarsely chopped onion, 3 cloves of smashed garlic, 1 halved rib of celery, 1 halved carrot, and thyme. Stir around for a few minutes, then slowly add the water and 1 tsp. of salt. Nestle the chicken back into the pot and bring stock to a simmer. Cover and transfer to the oven. (Or, turn heat to low and simmer on top of the stove.)
4. Bake (or simmer) chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until chicken is very tender. Remove chicken from the pot to a cutting board (it might break apart into pieces, which is fine) and let cool for a bit.
5. Strain stock through a colander into a large bowl. Skim fat from stock. Discard strained vegetables.

Make the soup:

1. Set the Dutch oven over medium heat and add the bacon to the pan. When the bacon is browned and crisp, add the diced onion, diced garlic, diced celery, diced carrot, kale, sweet potato, and nutmeg. Saute for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times, until the onion is softened. Pour in the stock and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the carrot and sweet potato are tender.
2. While the soup simmers, tear the chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding the skin and bones.
3. To serve, stir about half of the chicken into the hot soup (reserving the rest for another use) and taste for salt, adding more if necessary. Divide the diced tomato among soup bowls, ladle soup over the tomatoes, top with black pepper and Parmesan cheese, and serve.

About the recipe author

Stephanie A. Meyer is a Minneapolis-based cook, writer, photographer, and culinary coach. She hosts the popular food and health blog, Fresh Tart, and is the author/photographer of Twin Cities Chef’s Table cookbook. Meyer contributes to numerous publications and websites including Food & Wine, Cambria Style, and Paleo Magazine. She is the founder and organizer of Fortify: A Food Community, a group of Minnesota food writers and industry professionals who host educational events and raise money for local charities.

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