Recipe of the day: Healthy alphabet soup

Warm up your winter evenings with a delightful and nutritious bowl of healthy alphabet soup.

This comforting dish is not only a treat for your taste buds but also a nourishing option to keep you cosy during chilly nights.

Packed with a medley of colourful vegetables and alphabet-shaped pasta, this soup is a fun and flavourful way to enjoy a variety of vitamins and minerals.

So, grab a bowl, snuggle up, and let this hearty alphabet soup become your go-to companion for those cold winter nights.

Healthy alphabet soup

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Nutrient-packed veggies and whole-grain pasta simmered in a flavourful broth, is exactly what you need on this cold winter day.

• Author: Ingrid Beer
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: starter
• Method: Boil
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 split chicken breasts, skin on and bone-in (about 2 pounds total)
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 ½ cups baby carrots, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
• Pinch white pepper
• 7 cups chicken stock or broth
• 10 ounces uncooked alphabet pasta
• ½ cup peas
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organised for use.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°, and line a baking sheet with foil.
3. Place your split chicken breasts onto the baking sheet, drizzle with a touch of the olive oil, and sprinkle with a couple of generous pinches of salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 45 minutes. Once roasted, save any juices that have accumulated (you will add to soup later), and allow the chicken to cool just enough so you can handle it. Discard the skin and rib bones, and dice or shred the chicken. Set aside.
4. While the chicken roasts, place a large soup pot over medium-high heat, and add in the butter, plus 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once melted together, add in the diced onion, celery and carrot, plus a pinch of salt and pepper, and sweat the vegetable for a few moments until softened.
5. Next, add the garlic as well as the granulated onion, the granulated garlic, and the pinch of white pepper, and stir until aromatic. Add in the chicken stock (or broth), stir to combine, and bring just to the boil.
6. Reduce the heat and cover the pot with a lid, and allow the soup to gently simmer for 15 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
7. While the soup simmers, cook your alphabet pasta according to package instructions, then drain, rinse, and set aside, keeping it separate.
8. To finish the soup, add the shredded or diced chicken into the soup pot, along with the reserved juices from roasting, plus the peas and the parsley, and stir to combine.
9. To serve, spoon about ½ cup of the cooked alphabet pasta into individual bowls, then ladle some of the hot soup over top and enjoy.

*This recipe was sourced from thecozyapron.com.

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