Chicken soup seems like the perfect fix for any day you’re feeling under the weather. It’s easy enough to make (you can check out my very simple, easy-prep Crockpot recipe HERE), but sometimes can leave you with more than you would want to eat of the same thing for days on end. I came up with FIVE ways you can easily alter your chicken soup so you can continue to enjoy it without getting bored.
1. Mexican
Incredibly easy and delicious, this variation on traditional chicken soup will make you smile. It’s one of my favorite dishes that pairs well with other Latino favorites such as Golden Plantains (see recipe HERE) which could even serve as a dessert!
Adding pico de gallo, some fresh parsley, guacamole or avocado chuck and a splash of fresh lime makes this dish irresistible.
Check out the recipe details HERE.
2. Escarole & White Bean
Escarole is a highly versatile green that can be eaten both raw or cooked. A member of the endive family and a favorite on traditional Italian tables, escarole is awesome when added to soup. A good source of folic acid, fiber, and vitamins A and K, it’s less bitter than some greens on the market. You’ll find it in with the fresh lettuces!
As for your white beans, you could use butter beans, navy beans or cannellini beans.
To make this option, chop up a couple of escarole leaves and add them to the pot as you heat up your soup. Also add in 1/2 cup of beans per bowl. As the soup heats up, the escarole will wilt and add flecks of beautiful dark green to your bowl. Adjust the amount of escarole in your soup… you can always add more. For an added splash of flavor, you could add a spritz of fresh lemon juice to your bowl just before serving. Enjoy!
3. Italian Egg Drop
An easy way to add dimension, flavor and protein to your soup (especially when you’ve eaten all the chicken from your soup), the Italian version of Egg Drop soup is a childhood favorite. Also the more vegetarian-friendly folks who do still eat eggs could add this to a vegetable soup as well!
Heat up your soup broth on the stove. Meanwhile, crack one egg into a bowl and use a fork to whisk the egg well (just as you would to make scrambled eggs). Once the soup broth is boiling, hold your folk in one hand and the bowl with the egg in the other. Create a whisking motion just below the surface of the soup as you slowly pour the egg into the soup overtop of where the fork is moving around. This will cause the egg to break apart and quickly cook.
Once you’ve incorporated all of the egg, you can cook for a couple more minutes and then serve. If you like, you could add a bit of fresh parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast for added flavor along with some escarole.
4. Peas & Golden Onions
Another tasty way to add pops of color and flavor is with peas and golden onions.
Begin with the onions since they take a bit longer to cook. Dice up 1/2 of a medium onion for 2 (if you like a stronger onion flavor) to 4 (if you prefer a lighter onion flavor) bowls. Heat a sauté pan over medium with olive oil or butter (or ghee) and then add in your onions. Turn the heat back to medium-low and slowly cook the onions for 20 minutes, moving them every so often to insure that they brown, but do not burn. If you want a richer flavor, you can opt to cook them longer.
Closer to the end of their cooking time, you could also throw in a medium clove or two of minced garlic for an added flavor boost. Just remember to keep it moving around the pan so it browns, but does not burn.
Meanwhile, add 1/2 cup of frozen peas (per bowl you’re making) directly into your soup as it heats up. Then add in the onions once they are finished. You now have the option to add a little parmesan cheese or nutrition yeast for more flavor. Enjoy!
5. Tomato
This idea came to me one night when I had a hankering for a creamier tomato soup. It’s incredibly easy and remakes your soup into something you’d of never guessed was formerly chicken soup.
I used Bove’s All Natural Pasta Sauce (Marinara flavor) since it’s gluten-free and what I had on hand in the fridge. (As a side note, this is a great way to use up leftover pasta sauce!)
Spoon out your bowl of soup and then add 2 heaping tablespoons of marinara sauce to your bowl. Heat up soup. Then add 3 to 4 shakes of white pepper and 1 tsp of nutritional yeast (or you could opt for parmesan cheese).
If you want a more minestrone-type soup, add 1/2 cup of your choice of white beans.
My husband almost died with jealousy when he tasted my bowl the first time I made this and wanted one for himself. It’s really good and simple. Enjoy!