Back to the Rain

I grew up in the Northwest. Clouds, rain, grey, moss, ferns, evergreens, mountains. It's in my bones. BUT I was in Indiana all last year where even if it thunders every day for 3 weeks it's only for an hour and the rest of the day is sunny. Now that it's fall time, the grey is something to get used to again. My saving grace has been in the kitchen. It's time to be done with grilled chicken, and move on to more comforting things. Comforting doesn't have to mean sugary baked goods or buttery casseroles though. Here's a great recipe for a healthy soup that will be on my list for next week (if I can't find a way to sneak it in earlier :). For those of you on program, this is 100% Lean and Green approved!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs raw, boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1” pieces (should yield four 6-oz cooked servings)
• 32 oz reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
• 2 cups (18 medium) mushrooms, cut into quarters
• 2 cups celery (7 large stalks), thinly diced
• 1 cup (1 medium 2-¾” x 2-½”) yellow bell pepper, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 cup (1 medium 2-¾” x 2-½”) red bell pepper, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 cup (1 medium 2-¾” x 2-½”) green bell pepper, cut into 1” pieces
• ½-1 cup (4 to 8 oz) water (optional, add extra water depending on how thick you want your soup)
•  ½ cup scallions (3-4 scallions), chopped
• 2 Tbsp cream
• 2 Tbsp dried parsley or ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 4 tsp olive or canola oil
• ½ tsp dried thyme leaves
• ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Direction

Trim all visible fat from chicken and cut into 1” pieces; clean and cut  mushrooms, pepper, celery, and scallions. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and chicken; cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add bell peppers, celery, and mushrooms. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Add scallions, broth, water (optional), cream, thyme, black pepper, and parsley. Simmer until ready to serve.