Winter months seem to drag when it is mid February and the temps are in the negatives. When I am stuck in the house I tend to eat and eat some more. Staying sane and eating well this time of year prove to be a real challenge for me, so I have to create foods that mimic the filling unhealthy recipes that I love.
My favorite part about cooking is being able to be creative with what I have at home. Soups are one of those recipes that are easy and versatile. This Paleo soup is also nicknamed garbage soup because you literally just dump what you have in a pot and cook it, there is also no science to how much of each item goes in, it is all a matter of your taste. Root vegetables always work great in soups, and this one includes radishes which lose their bitterness when cooked. Here are the ingredients that I used for this version. Please keep in mind that I make a very large pot so feel free to cut this recipe in half. Also, everything on the ingredient list besides the coconut oil was purchased at Aldi for a fraction of what you would pay anywhere else.
3 Chicken breast (Other meats that work are turkey, ham, pork....basically anything)
A bag of carrots (not baby carrots)
1 Lb of radishes
1 Head of cauliflower
1 Sweet onion
Handful of green onion
32 oz. (or slightly more if you like a less chunky soup) of organic free range chicken broth.
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
Salt, pepper, seasonings of your own choosing (I used Turmeric)
Usually when I cook soup I try to use up meats that I have cooked before and have left over, however this time I bought chicken specifically for this soup. My preferred method of cooking the chicken is in a small crock pot for 6 hours on low so that it is easy to shred or pull apart. You can always boil the chicken then cut into cubes, or pan fry it and chop it up if you need it faster. I just feel like the shredded chicken goes really well with all the thick veggies and is worth the extra time.
I use an organic chicken broth as the base of my soup but this recipe can easily be changed into a vegetarian version by omitting the meat and using a veggie broth instead.
This soup is so easy to make, you will literally be making a big pot every Sunday to have something quick to warm up for the rest of the week. I like to take it for lunch because it is really filling and super healthy.
I chop up the carrots, cauliflower and radishes and bring them to a boil in the chicken broth. If you have never tried cooked radishes, you must! The bitter flavor goes away and they change color to a very pale pink. In the soup they take the place of potatoes because frankly, who needs those extra carbs!
Once they come to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and add seasoning. I use salt, pepper, and turmeric. I also add a tablespoon of coconut oil. While the veggies are cooking, chop up a sweet onion and saute it in a pan, then add to the soup. I also like to add some green onion, for the color and the extra flavor. Now you can add your shredded chicken and let the whole thing cook until the veggies are tender. You do not want to over cook them so they turn to mush, so check your soup once in a while.
Once the soup is done you can serve it with some shredded Parmesan cheese on top, it is absolutely delicious!
