One winter, things were very tight at the Farmhouse. That is not to say that we are rolling in money now, but it was just one of those very lean times. Leaner than lean. As life would have it…it was a lean time for my friend Shannon and her sweet family too. You know what though? God helped us…and we made it. We laughed through it…and we shared through it. Matter of fact…she shared her chicken soup recipe with me…that can be made…when things are fat…or lean. This mmmMonday! post is more than a recipe. It’s about two friends looking at each other with concern and love. It’s about being creative. It’s about being thankful.
(Thank you Mr. Dirt Road, for holding my “reflector” this a.m. You are the best.)
This recipe is basically stuff that I keep on hand. We usually have fresh veggies year around. I love them. I am not a vegetarian (at all) but I love veggies just about as well as meat. Matter of fact…there are leftover Brussels sprouts waiting for me in the fridge for lunch. So, hopefully, if you decide to make this…you will already have a few items on hand.
We make this recipe with chicken leg quarters. It’s weird. The older I get…the better that I like the dark meat of chicken. To me, there is just more taste…especially when making a soup or dumplings. You could certainly use a whole chicken or even just the breast. I just love the richness that the quarters give. Plus…we were talking cheap here. Have you priced quarters and the rest. Exactly.
Farm Wife’s Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
chicken leg quarters
fresh veggies or your choice
water
canned tomatoes
1 can of cream of mushroom (my addition to the recipe)
salt and pepper to taste
thyme
Directions:
Cover chicken leg quarters in water. Use enough to make plenty of broth for your soup. While that is cooking, dice your veggies. In this soup I used cabbage, onion, and carrots. You could add minced garlic or anything green…or….you get it. 😉
After chicken is done, take out of the broth and let cool. Add your veggies and let them cook until tender. Then add canned tomatoes….one or two cans, or one large can. (Diced, crushed, whole…your choice.) Let that cook for a bit and then add cream of mushroom. You can leave this out…but it’s my “brothy soup” secret weapon. See….don’t I love ya? Of course.
Next, just add your chicken and let all of that simmer for a while. You can also go ahead and add your thyme. I love thyme in chicken soup. It just gives it something extra. Salt and pepper to taste, of course. You can serve this with Loaded Cornbread, which is another “friend recipe” or like us, you could just do crackers. Either way, it’s delish.
So, today Dirt Roader’s, I shared a recipe…but also a little piece of my heart. We learn things in the lean times. We learn about God’s love and provision. We learn that we can be creative and feed our families. We learn that friendship is an amazing gift. We learn that these lean times…really aren’t so lean after all….they are very rich with meaning.
Feeling overwhelmed by the love and wisdom of God,
