It all started with “Green Garlic Soup” from Chez Panisse Vegetables, then it morphed into “Chicken Garden Soup”. I like to call this intuitive cooking- allowing a recipe to come to life in your kitchen. While the green garlic, onion, and potato sizzled in butter on the stove, I thought of the micro-greens I collected from my garden yesterday. The tiny radishes and salad leaves would add a pop of color to this golden soup. I could taste their bitter bite against the full bodied chicken broth and starchy potatoes. On a whim I tossed a bit of fresh thyme into the pot. As the soup simmered the kitchen filled with an inviting aroma of herbs and garlic and chicken stock. At this point I remembered the leftover roast chicken in the fridge from last night and tossed it into the pot. I dipped in my spoon and tasted . . . the soup needed something. Cream? No, cream would dull the delicate spring flavors. A handful of grated Parmesan would add the body and flavor I was looking for. The soup was ready. I pulled out two shallow bowls and placed a handful of micro-greens in each one, ladling the soup over top. “Chicken Garden Soup” was good and satisfying. Was it because I made the stock from scratch? Maybe it was the micro-greens, the first harvest from my little garden plot. As we slurped up the soup at our kitchen table, the husband tried to figure it out, but never could pinpoint exactly what made the soup so tasty. I think I know the answer: when you give yourself time to prepare a meal and enjoy the journey, magic happens in the kitchen. The love comes through in your cooking.
{Green Garlic}
I hope you make chicken garden soup, and it turns into something else altogether. The recipe isn’t so important, it’s more of a starting point for your own kitchen adventure. So go on, cook in the moment!
Chicken Garden Soup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
1 pound green garlic (about 8 plants) cleaned and sliced thin
1/2 pound yellow potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 quarts chicken stock
shredded leftover roast chicken
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
a handful of micro-greens or watercress or arugula
Melt the butter in a heavy soup pot. Add the onion and sweat for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt. Toss in green garlic, potatoes and thyme and cook 5 minutes. Pour in stock and bring the soup to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in chicken and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, place a small handful of greens in the center of each bowl and spoon soup over the top.
Serves 4