Hearty Chicken Soup

Cold season has hit!  Thankfully its just a cold and not the flu.  So the past few days have been spent drinking many cups of tea with honey and eating plenty of soup.  I'm not good at being sick...I have a hard time taking it easy and resting.  I always feel like I need to be doing something, and that usually means cooking/baking.  So the other day I had made a potato and corn chowder  but when I'm sick I want a clear broth...so tonight I made a hearty chicken soup.

Hearty Chicken Soup

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 large shallot (or onion, I didn't have an onion so I used shallot)

3 celery stalks, diced

2 large carrots, diced

3 medium potatoes, diced

1 cup each firmly packed green and red chard roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 table spoon dried oregano

1 table spoon rosemary chopped

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cups gluten free chicken broth

1 cup water

1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts diced

salt and pepper to taste (shouldn't need to much with the chicken stock)

*try to dice the veggies all about the same time for even cooking.  I tend to dice mine bigger but I like the chunkiness of the soup.  I also don't peel my potatoes first, I like to leave the skin on, it adds a slightly different texture to the soup.

In a large pot heat one table spoon of grapeseed oil over medium heat.  Add shallot and cook for two minutes.  Add the celery and carrots and cook for an additional five minutes until softened.  Add potatoes, garlic, rosemary, oregano, and red pepper flakes.  turn heat to medium high and add one cup of water and four cups of chicken stock.  Bring to a boil for 5-10 minutes, add chicken and stir.  Once chicken has cooked through add the green and red chard, stir well.  Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.  Enjoy with a little grated Parmesan cheese on top.