I haven’t been posting many recipes on the blog in the past year, and I’ve gotten a lot of requests to get back into it.  Now that Woody is older, I’m finally cooking more often again, so I’ve got some new recipes coming your way!  I recently made the Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Soup from Danielle Walker’s blog, Against All Grain, and I cannot stop thinking about it.  It was the best chicken soup I’ve ever had; I’m not exaggerating.  I love chicken soup, but in my opinion, most recipes have too many starches (rice, noodles or white potatoes) and not enough veggies.  And, I love a good dairy-free butternut squash bisque, but because there is no protein, I feel like it’s not quite a complete meal.  This recipe has it all, and it is so satisfying and delicious, you’ll be dreaming of leftovers, and let’s face it, that doesn’t happen often.

| ROASTED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SOUP |

• (serves 8-10)
• prep time: 15 minutes
• cook time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 4 cups peeled and cubed carrots
• 4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 2 yellow onions, quarted
• 1/4 cup melted ghee or coconut oil
• pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups cubed cooked chicken (I pulled the meat from a Whole Foods organic rotisserie chicken instead)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 cup water
• 5 cups baby spinach (I used 6 cups)

1. preheat over to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Roast the vegetables*: Place the garlic and vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle on the ghee or coconut oil, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and toss to combine.  Roast  for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
3. Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a large stockpot.  Add the chicken, herbs, salt, and pepper.  Keep warm while the vegetables are roasting.
4. Pick out the onion quarters from the pan of roasted vegetables and place them in a blender.  Add half the remaining vegetables to the soup, and place the other half in the blender.  Pureé the vegetables with the 1 cup of water.
5. Add the vegetable puree and baby spinach to the soup.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and the soup is hot.  Adjust the seasonings to taste

* Make ahead tip: roast the vegetables  up to 3 days in advance and store in the refrigerator.

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