One of these days

I will probably get back in the blogging groove, but it's been so busy and out of routine lately. A bit of spring cleaning, having company, hosting a tea party for 20 ladies (which turned out really well), and enjoying visiting with my Dad and Mom-in-love who are up from Oregon for a week. So...one of these days I shall probably start posting more! For now, I'm making a big pot of chicken soup with roasted vegetables for supper and catching up on schoolwork.

Northwestern Style Chicken Soup with Roasted Vegetables

[insert photo here: coming soon!]

1 large pot of water (stock pot)
1 large fresh chicken
1 onion, quartered
Garlic cloves to taste

Simmer the above for several hours. Remove chicken and set aside to cool. Continue simmering the stock. When the chicken cools enough, remove the meat from the bones and put in the fridge until later. Add the bones back to the pot. Some fresh herbs would be a nice addition at this point for flavor. Thyme, rosemary, parsley, lemon balm, lemongrass, etc.. Simmer for at least a couple hours longer, preferably 3 or 4 more hours to get the goodness from the bones into the broth. In the meantime, cut up a variety of vegetables for roasting to equal about 8 cups worth, such as:

Turnips
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes/yams
Squash such as butternut or buttercup
Carrots
Celery
Parsnips
Onions

You can add peppers, leeks, mushrooms, garlic, and/or zucchini also, but they only take about half the time as the other veggies so add them about halfway through. Toss the veggies with a bit of olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Roast them at 350 deg for about 45-55 min or until they are getting caramelized.

Strain the chicken stock, removing all solids from the broth. Return the broth to the pot and add the roasted veggies, the separated chicken, a few herbs (rosemary, garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, or a mixture), salt, pepper, and if desired, some chicken bouillon seasoning for extra flavor. If the soup is too liquidy, you could remove some of the broth and freeze for later use, or add some other veggies, rice, or pasta. This is such a versatile soup, I'd hardly call this a recipe. But it is one of my favorite soups on a cold day. Spring is basically here, but with the clouds and rain around lately I just feel like a last bowl of comfort food!