Thick chicken and spinach soup

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This is just the thing for a cool day. Its quick, easy and cheap—and thoroughly nourishing.

So many people throw away their leftover cooked vegetables. What a waste. Cooked leftover vegetables will keep in the fridge if covered properly for about a week. Alicia and I cook veggies with dinner every night and there’s often some left over. This is the dish we keep it for. Leftover chicken or really any suitable protein can be substituted for fresh chicken. It’s Alicia’s all-time favorite.

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‍Main Ingredients

• ½ tblsp olive oil
• 3 cups salt-reduced stock (chicken or vegetable)
• 500 gms (1lb) chicken cut into small pieces
• 4 cups skim milk
• 500 gms (1/2 lb) frozen spinach
• 300+ gms (1/2lb) leftover cooked vegetables

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‍Directions:

1. Bring frozen spinach to boil in 1 cup water (do not microwave cook). Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add chicken. Cover and cook chicken through (but don’t overcook). Set aside.
3. In blender put 1 cup of stock. Add spinach and leftover water (when cooled somewhat) chicken and leftover vegetables. (I usually do this in two loads to minimize strain on the blender. If so put one cup of stock in each time)
4. Run the blender on chop till the chicken is ready for pureeing (about 40 seconds). Then thoroughly puree the mixture (30-40 seconds).
5. In large pot add one cup of stock and 3 cups of skim milk. Add the puree mixture and stir thoroughly (I use one of the cups of skim milk, or the cup of stock to rinse out any puree mixture into the pot).
6. Cover and gradually bring to the boil, stirring frequently.
7. Add a little (1 tsp) fat-free yoghurt on top of each serving—mostly for show.

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‍Yield: 7 meal-sized portions

‍Energy: 1088 kJs (272 calories) as a meal (two bowls)