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Spicy Farmhouse Chicken and Pasta Soup
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Spicy Farmhouse Chicken and Pasta Soup with Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

This hearty, fresh vegetable chicken and pasta soup is sure to put a smile on everyone's face. It is full of flavor, great texture and color making it irresistible. Paired with mini grilled cheese sandwiches for an unexpected spin on traditional comfort food. Seasoning may change depending on the base used for the soup. Be sure to taste test along the way and adjust for your preference.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 10 cups soup
Calories 196kcal
Author Toni Dash

Ingredients

Ingredients for Spicy Farmhouse Chicken and Pasta Soup:

  • 1 ½ tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 cup Yellow Onion , chopped
  • 2 large Garlic Cloves , pressed or diced
  • ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
  • ¾ teaspoon fresh Oregano , diced
  • ¼ teaspoon Lemongrass Powder
  • 8 cups Chicken Stock , Broth or Chicken Broth made with a Bouillon/Soup Base*
  • 1 heaping cup Fingerling or small New Potatoes , sliced horizontally ¼ inch thick (fingerlings) or bite-sized chopped (New Potatoes)
  • 1 cup Tomatoes , chopped (approximately 2 medium tomatoes)
  • ¾ cup Yellow and/or Green Beans (total ¾ cup), sliced in ¾ inch pieces
  • ½ cup Baby Carrots , sliced ¼ inch thick
  • 1 cup Corn Kernels , fresh sliced from cob. or frozen and thawed
  • 2 cups Shredded Chicken (cooked)
  • ½ teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 cup small Pasta variety (gluten-free or wheat pasta depending on preference)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Ingredients for Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (plan on 2-3 per person):

  • 1 small French Baguette (1-2 inches in diameter) Note: if making this gluten-free and a gluten-free baguette is unavailable, normal GF sandwich bread cut into quarters may be substituted
  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese (2 inch by 2 inch slice or 1-2 tablespoons per sandwich)
  • Sweet unsalted butter

Instructions

Instructions for Spicy Farmhouse Chicken and Pasta Soup:

  • In large heavy stock pot, warm olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, oregano and lemongrass powder. Sauté until onions are translucent (3-4 minutes).
  • Pour in a cup of the stock, and using a heatproof spatula scrape bottom of the pan continuously to deglaze the pan scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add remaining stock.
  • Add the potatoes, tomatoes, beans, carrots, corn, chicken and apple cider vinegar. Heat to boiling then reduce heat to medium-low and allow soup to lightly simmer until the potatoes are almost cooked (about 20 minutes).
  • Add pasta and cook 10 minutes longer. Note: if the potatoes are still too hard at 20 minutes, allow them to cook longer before adding the pasta. Pasta should go in 10 minutes before the soup is done to avoid it becoming mushy.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions for Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:

  • Slice the baguette in ½ inch slices (2 slices per sandwich). If using a Press: place one slice of baguette on the bottom of the press. Add the cheese, second piece of baguette. Lightly butter the top and close the press. Cook until cheese is melted and top is golden brown. Alternatively, use a heavy skillet: butter one side of each slice of bread. Heat skillet to medium-high. Place the buttered side of baguette slice facing the skillet. Add cheese, and top with a second piece of baguette with the buttered side up. Brown lightly on bottom side, gently flip and cook on the second side until the cheese has melted and baguette is golden brown. Allow to sit a few minutes before eating.

Notes

*Based on necessity I made my soup base with a 100% natural Chicken Broth and Seasoning Base that is gluten-free by [easyazon_link identifier="B008XDKMZE" locale="US" nw="y" nf="y" tag="bouldlocav-20"]Orrington Farms[/easyazon_link] (no MSG, with sea salt). I purchased it originally for some winter soup mixes I gave as gifts. I liked the bouillon flavor for this soup although the mix made at the recommended strength was a bit salty for me (and had additional seasoning adding to the flavor). If choosing to make a similar bouillon soup base be sure to taste it to determine if the full strength is to your liking or dilute it.

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 393mg | Potassium: 483mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1115IU | Vitamin C: 9.4mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1.1mg