Homemade Vegetable Soup

One Year Ago:  Lemon-Butter Shrimp and Broccoli over Orzo

I try to have a bowl of soup for lunch every day because it is healthy and filling.  When I realized that I was low on my stock of soup, I raided the refrigerator and gathered up as many different vegetables as I could find.  Soup is one of those things that always tastes better when you make it from scratch.  My daughter and I enjoyed it for lunch and she even asked for a second bowl. 


Ingredients:

Chicken Broth

• 4 to 5 lb chicken carcass and some lean meat 
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped 
• 1 celery rib, coarsely chopped 
• 1 medium onion, quartered 
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled 
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 peppercorns
• 2 quarts cold water
• Salt, to taste

Soup Ingredients

• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped 
• 1 tomato, chopped 
• 2 large carrots, chopped 
• 1/2 c spinach 
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped 
• 1/4 c corn
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 4 oz orzo pasta 
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Make the chicken broth.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place the chicken carcass on a greased baking sheet.  Roast the carcass for 40 minutes, turning over once halfway through roasting.  Roasting the carcass gives the broth a rich, deep flavor.

Place the chicken carcass, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns in a large pot and pour the water over all.  Bring the water to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 1/2 hours.   

Strain the chicken broth through a sieve over a large bowl and discard the solids. Cool the broth to room temperature.  Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The following day, skim any excess fat from the top of the broth.

Make the soup.  In a large sauce pan, combine the chicken broth, onion, tomato, carrot, spinach, red bell pepper, corn, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and garlic powder and bring it to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in the orzo pasta and allow it to simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and the vegetables are soft.   

Season with salt and pepper, to taste

Enjoy!