Confidence Can :: Cook!

One of the many things I need help with is cooking!  I have a few foodie friends who I am always asking for new and delicious recipes, and my lovely friend Ellen S. was gracious enough to be the first contributor to the Confidence Can series.  YAHOOSKI!  I couldn’t be more blessed or proud to be this sweet lady’s friend, and cheer on our Spartans together, so please enjoy her contribution!  Thanks Ellen.  🙂

Soup’s On!

Around my house whenever dinner is ready we say “Soup’s On!” using a voice that we do our best to make sound like my Father in-law’s. This is how he lets the family know it’s time to eat and now we are continuing this tradition at my house too. In this case it was actually soup that was being served.

It’s winter in Michigan so let’s just say it was an easy decision to try out this Pioneer Woman soup recipe. As soon as I spotted this Italian Chicken Soup on Pinterest, I knew it was the next new recipe I wanted to try. Let me tell you that I am SO.VERY.HAPPY. I did. This recipe was easy to make and it also fed my family for 4 days. Being a full time, working mom, knowing that I had this awesome soup waiting for us in the fridge for dinner this week gave me much excitement. Some may call me lame, but seriously, having a good hearty meal that you can reheat in a few minutes for 4 straight nights equals gold to me. And no, we didn’t get tired of eating it 4 days in a row! It’s that good. Do yourself a favor and add it to your list of recipes to try SOON.

Italian Chicken Soup
*original recipe is from The Pioneer Woman. Recipe below has been adapted by me.

Ingredients you will need:

16 oz. Ditalini Pasta (short macaroni noodles) I found them in the DeLallo brand.
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (used to coat noodles after cooking them)
3 Chicken Breasts
8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Diced
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Diced
2 stalks Celery, Diced
2 whole Fresh Jalapenos, Diced (Remove seeds) Don’t worry the soup wasn’t too spicy at all!
1 small can of diced green chiles
1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (used to sauté vegetables)
1 can (28-ounce) Can Whole Tomatoes, Diced. ( Keep the juice because this is added into the soup.)
2 cups Heavy Cream ( could substitute fat free half n half for healthier version.)
5 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Oregano
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil (used to sauté Oregano)
Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
Parmesan Cheese Shavings, For Serving

Cooking Instructions

Cook pasta in a pot according to package directions, being sure not to overcook it. Drain and rinse in cold water to cool. Toss in 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.

Place chicken breasts in a large pot and cover with the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer chicken, covered, for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered for another 30 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and shred meat. Return shredded chicken back into the broth and set aside until later.

Dice canned tomatoes and return them to their juice. Set aside.

Heat a small skillet with the 2TBL of olive oil over medium high heat. Add oregano. Stir the oregano around for about a minute over heat to avoid burning. Turn off heat and let oregano sit until you are ready to add to soup.

In a large pot sauté onion, peppers, celery, and jalapenos in olive oil over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes.

Add chicken broth, shredded chicken, green chiles, and tomatoes with their juice. Bring this to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add cooked pasta, cream, and all the oregano and olive oil from the small skillet. Add salt and pepper as needed to satisfy your tastebuds. Stir and heat mixture on low until it is hot again.

Serve with lots of Parmesan sprinkled on the top, or whatever kind of cheese you like. I also topped ours with fresh croutons from my favorite local bakery. Enjoy!!

I am now drooling, and know what I’ll be making this week!  Thanks so much Ellen.   Now go out there and be confident in your cooking people!  Soup’s On!