Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Last week we had some unseasonably cool weather which made it feel like fall, my favorite season, was here. The nights were cool enough for me to open my windows breath the crisp air. But the weather was short lived and we're back in the 90 degree heat.

But I'm not ready to give up the fall feeling. I've already started planning some apple and nut based dishes, but those will have to wait a few weeks. Instead today I made my fall and winter time staple, a large pot of Chicken and vegetable soup.

*note* These are just estimates. I really never measure the ingredients, just season to taste.

Ingedients:

6 cups chicken broth
2 ~ 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp chervil leaves (chopped)
1 tsp tarragon leaves (chopped)
1 tsp turmeric
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of mace
dash of ground cloves
salt and pepper
juice of 2 limes
1 tbs olive oil
1 small can tomato paste
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup yellow corn
1 medium yellow squash (julienned)
1 medium zucchini (julienned)
1 white onion (chopped)
1 cup black eye peas
1 cup kidney beans
2 chicken breasts (diced into cubes)

Put oil in large pot on medium heat and add garlic. When it starts to brown, add onions, squash, zucchini, and dry spices. When the onions soften add the stock, lime juice, beans, corn, tomatoes, and tomato paste and bring to a soft boil. As the soup is heating, and before I add the chicken, I taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. When you are pleased with the soups taste, add the chicken meat, lower heat, cover and let it cook for 30~45 mins.

This is not a fancy dish, but a good staple food. And for a grad student like me, it's very affordable. One pot complemented with cheese and crackers will feed me for a week, costs ~ $25, and keeps me warm on those cold nights.