Chicken Lime Soup

From Emily Christiansen

1 1/2 - 2 cups of rotisserie chicken, roughly chopped
1 1/2 qt. chicken broth
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 1/2 cups zucchini, diced
1 cup tomato diced (or 1 can of diced tomatoes)
4 - 6 limes, juiced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1/2 cup homemade salsa
Salt and pepper, to taste

Bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Add the bell pepper, garlic, celery and carrot.
Cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes. Add the
chicken, lime juice and the tomato. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Remove from
heat. Stir in the minced cilantro and salsa.

Notes:
• You can use grilled chicken, I use rotisserie because it adds good flavor and is easy.
• I use the pre-minced garlic to save time.
• I usually add extra vegetables to make the soup thicker.
• I usually use canned diced tomatoes, because it is quicker.
• I don’t usually have homemade salsa on hand. I like Herdez salsa, it works great with
this recipe.
• I usually add very little salt, the recipe just doesn’t need it.
• I like strong lime flavor so I use a lot of lime juice. Start with 4 and then add to taste.
• This soup freezes great! I usually make a little extra and then freeze half for another
meal.
• I have done this in my crockpot...just throwing everything in and letting it cook all day.
I add the cilantro at the end. It turned out great!

My Notes: I used 4 limes and liked it.  Could also have done more.  I sauteed the pepper, garlic, celery and carrots first before adding the broth, but it probably wasn't necessary.

Tried 2/16/12

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

Makes 4-6 servings

1 lb Italian sausage
2 large russet baking potatoes, peeled, sliced in half,and then in 1/4 inch slices*
1 large onion, diced
1/2 can bacon bits
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pkg frozen chopped spinach, rinsed and squeezed of excess liquid (or 2 c. kale or swiss chard, chopped)
3 cups chicken stock
1 to 2 cups water
1 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Cook sausage in a 300°F oven for approximately 30 minutes. Alternatively, cook in a skillet. Drain sausages on paper towels and cut into slices.

3. Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another 10 minutes. When potatoes are tender, mash some of the slices with a fork to thicken soup slightly.

4. Turn to low heat. Add spinach and cream. Heat through. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.

*You can use up leftover baked potatoes by peeling potatoes cold, cutting them into slices and adding at the end of the recipe and heating through. Set aside one cold potato and mash with a fork to add to the soup when specified in the recipe.

I made some minor changes to the original recipe, which can be found here.

Notes: OK to leave skin on sausage.  I used kale, and thought it was supposed to be 4 cups.  Too much.  Did this in crock pot, adding potatoes and kale last 20 minutes then whipping cream very end.  Actually used half and half, and probably better with cream.  I think the kale also needed more than 20 minutes.

Tried 2/10/12