Chicken Soup Recipe

Many people have a story of their grandmother's chicken soup that would simmer for 12 days before it could be served. While I hold true to certain cooking traditions, sometimes I want a soup that can be eaten the same day I begin preparing it.

Nothing against your grandmother, but this is a full-flavored chicken soup that comes together fairly quickly and is hearty enough to be a full meal. I find that if you start with a good stock, the soup nearly makes itself. As with most things, I've used my homemade vegetable stock in this recipe, but feel free to substitute with your favorite chicken / veggie stock.

Ingredients:

• 4 Chicken Thighs, skin removed
• 4 Chicken Legs, skin removed
• 2 strips of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Large Yellow Onion, cut onto large dice
• 1 Clove of Garlic, diced
• 4 Carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 Idaho Potatoes, peels and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 8+ Cups of Stock
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 10 Fresh Sage Leaves, diced
• 1 Tbs Kosher Salt
• 1 Tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Pack of Frozen Peas

In a large, heavy (preferably cast iron) stock pot, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until very crisp.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan, leaving as much of the bacon fat behind as possible. Working in batches if you need to, add the chicken pieces to the pan and cook 4-5 minutes per side.

Remove chicken from pan and add the olive oil. Reduce heat to medium, then add the onions. Cook onions, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes (or just until they begin to brown). As they cook, use your wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

Now add the carrots, potatoes, sage, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir well, then return the chicken to the pot. Add the stock, enough to cover all the ingredients.

Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cover the pot. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add the peas (still frozen) to the pot. While the peas cook, remove the meat from the chicken bones (discard the bones and put the chicken meat back in the pot - obviously).

Return the crisp bacon to the pot, and serve. Freezes well for a few weeks.