Roasted Winter Vegetable, Chicken, and Chile Soup

Submitted by zeldaz51

"The color and flavors will knock your socks off! I adapted this from a recipe by Danielle Walker on the Against All Grain blog. It's great on a cold winter night with some crusty bread or some tortillas. You can omit the chile if you don't like spiciness, or just substitute a milder chile. Start with raw chicken or use leftover cooked chicken, if that's what you have on hand. But by all means, use a good stock, not broth, preferably homemade! Duck stock or goose stock could also be used. Make sure you have enough of the diced cooked vegetables in the soup to give a nice texture to the finished soup. Err on the side of more than half, if necessary. I use Tia Rita chipotle seasoning blend, which is available online at http://newmexicospecialtyfoods.com/nosaltseasonings.htm., but a small amount of canned chipotles in adobo can be used instead."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 5mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 1 substitute 1 to 2 cups of peeled and cubed butternut squash or 1 pumpkin
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 large white onion, quartered
• 29.58 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1182.95 ml flavorful chicken stock, divided
• 1 large chicken breast half (or 2-3 cups leftover shredded chicken)
• 2.46 ml dried thyme
• 2.46 ml dried rosemary
• 2.46 ml dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 2.46-4.92 ml dried chipotle powder, blend (or a small amount of finely minced canned chipotle in adobo, or 1/2 to 3/4 c. diced roasted green ch)
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 127.57 g Baby Spinach (half a 9-ounce bag)
• lime wedge, and sour cream for serving (optional)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Toss the vegetables in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and have started to caramelize, stirring every 15 minutes. Vegetables may be roasted up to a day in advance of assembling the soup.
3. Bring 4 cups of the chicken stock to a simmer in a large stockpot. Add the (raw) chicken, herbs, chile, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and poach very GENTLY while the vegetables are roasting, about 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and tender enough to shred with a fork. Shred chicken intro bite-sized pieces and set aside, covered with a bit of the stock to keep it moist.
4. Add half the vegetables to the soup, and place the other half in a blender, making sure to put all of the onions pieces into the blender jar. Puree the vegetables with the reserved 1 cup of stock.
5. Add the vegetable puree, cooked chicken, and baby spinach to the soup. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and the soup is heated through. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Serve in large bowls with a dollop of sour cream and lime wedges, if you like.