We have our first snow of the season here. It’s cold, snowing steadily, and I’m off work today. I have a hot cup of coffee, and my feet are snuggled into my favorite purple slipper socks. Life is good.
I love cooking things in my slow cooker, especially on cold or gloomy days. I made venison chili on Saturday and chicken & vegetable soup on Sunday. Slow cooking really brings out the flavor of food. It makes the house smell amazing, and it’s extremely easy.
I have leftover chili and soup in the refrigerator, which makes me happy. Both of them are better on the second or third day because all of the flavors have had longer to marry. I ate some of the soup for lunch today and plan to have a bowl of chili for dinner. I made enough to feed my family for a couple of days, but I’m usually the only one who eats leftovers. That means I have lunch for the rest of the week.
My homemade chicken & vegetable soup is simplicity itself. My grandma taught me to use whatever I have on hand to make soup or a hearty stew. She lived on a farm several miles from town. There was no running to the store to pick up a couple of things. She used what she had. Well, I always have canned and/or frozen vegetables in the house. A little chicken bullion, and I have the start of a fabulous soup.
I haven’t been buying anything frozen for a while. In fact, I’ve been trying to use what’s in the freezer because it’s deer season. I hope to have some yummy venison filling my freezer soon. Therefore, I have been buying canned chicken.
Before you laugh, canned chicken is perfect in many dishes, and it’s economical in being under $2.00 for a large can. It’s already cooked and chunked, which saves a ton of time. I use it in pasta, soup, potatoes, eggs, nachos, and anything else that calls for chicken breast chunks. You can stack four or five cans on top of each other, which takes next to no room in the cabinet. Best of all, it has a long shelf life.
Every time I make soup or stew, it’s a little bit different than the time before. What goes in the pot depends upon what’s in the cabinet, fridge, and freezer. Here’s how I made my latest batch. I am proud to say that it was delicious, and I will be enjoying this soup for days to come.
Margarite’s Homemade Chicken & Vegetable Soup with Canned Chicken
Ingredients 1 can of chunked chicken breast, 12.5 ounces 1 bag of frozen corn, 16 ounces 1 pound of fresh baby carrots 1 can of green beans 1 can of peas 3 chicken bullion cubes or 3 cups of chicken broth 1 stick of butter 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon parsley 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder A dash of chili powder
Directions Dissolve bullion cubes in three cups of hot water and pour it in the pot. Place all ingredients in slow cooker including the liquid from each can. You may reduce or increase the salt depending on how much is already in your vegetables. Cover with water. Stir thoroughly to make certain all of the food and spices are evenly distributed. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours.
I like to serve this soup with hot rolls or corn bread.
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