HARVEST CHICKEN SOUP

YIELD: 4 to 6 servings | PREP TIME: 20 minutes | STOVETOP: 55 minutes | SLOW COOKER: 8 to 10 hours • 1 large onion, diced • 3 celery ribs, diced • 3 large carrots, diced • 2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced • 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt, divided • Ground black pepper • 1 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breast (about 2 pounds (907 g)) • 2 quarts Chicken Broth • ½ pound kale, stemmed and torn or chopped into 1-inch pieces • ½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme (about 4 sprigs) 1 batch cooked Sweet Potato Gnocchi or 4 to 6 servings cooked spaghetti squash noodles or sweet potato noodles 2 tablespoons (30 ml) pomegranate arils 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). 2. In a large baking dish, toss the diced veggies and garlic with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the olive oil and ½ teaspoon of the salt. 3. Season the chicken with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Rub the remaining tablespoon of olive oil all over the chicken. Place the chicken on top of the veggies and roast for 40 to 45 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) and the veggies are brown and softened. 4. Remove the chicken and place in the fridge to cool. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their peels and mash lightly. 5. Add the roasted veggies and garlic to a large pot along with the broth, kale, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the kale is soft. 06 While the soup simmers, pull the chicken meat off the bone and cut or tear it into bite-sized pieces. Discard the skin and bones or reserve the bones for making broth. Add the chicken to the soup, along with the gnocchi or your preferred noodle, and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until just heated through. Serve garnished with pomegranate arils. Slow Cooker Instructions: Peel the garlic cloves and toss them and the vegetables with ½ teaspoon of salt, a few pinches of pepper, and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil. Place in a slow cooker, along with the kale and thyme. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon of salt, a couple pinches of pepper, and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil and place on top of the vegetables. Pour in the broth and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Remove the chicken and, once cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bone. Cut or tear the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot. Add the gnocchi or noodles to heat through. Serve garnished with pomegranate arils. Chef’s Tip: Use leftover roast chicken and a variety of leftover roasted veggies to make a super-quick soup. Just simmer the veggies in the broth for 10 minutes as directed in Step 5, then add 3 cups (720 ml) of cooked chicken and heat through. AIP Modification: Omit the black pepper and serve with veggie noodles instead of gnocchi. Lower-Carb / Egg-Free / Nut-Free Modification: Serve with veggie noodles instead of gnocchi.  

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Harvest chicken soup roasts everything first: a whole chicken breast browns over a bed of onions, carrots, celery, and parsnips before it all becomes soup. The roasted garlic squeezes straight from its skins into the broth, and kale and sweet potato gnocchi turn it into a full meal. Pomegranate arils scattered on top make the bowl look like autumn in a pot.

Pro Tips

• Roast the vegetables and chicken together on one pan. The chicken fat bastes the vegetables below, and the browned bits on the pan flavor the broth.
• Cool the chicken in the fridge before pulling the meat — warm chicken shreds raggedly, while cold chicken pulls into clean pieces.
• Squeeze the roasted garlic from its peels and mash it before adding; roasted garlic melts into the broth and disappears into the soup's body.
• Add the gnocchi (or noodles) at the very end and simmer only a minute or two so they hold their shape instead of dissolving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use leftover roast chicken in this soup?

Yes — the recipe's chef tip suggests exactly that: simmer the roasted veggies in broth for 10 minutes, then add 3 cups of cooked chicken and heat through.

Is this soup AIP-compliant?

With two swaps it is: omit the black pepper and serve it with veggie noodles instead of the sweet potato gnocchi.

How long does harvest chicken soup keep?

About 4 days in the fridge. Store the noodles separately if you can, so they don't soak up all the broth overnight.

Can I make this soup in a slow cooker?

Yes — the vegetables, kale, thyme, and broth go in low for 8-10 hours with the chicken on top, then the meat is shredded and returned with the gnocchi.

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