Quick Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Perfect for this crazy winter weather!

This recipe comes from my friend Anita Brown who is an amazing culinary coach in the North Shore. That's right. She comes to your house and teaches you how to cook. BRILLIANT. There's more info about Anita below but in the meantime: ENJOY THIS RECIPE! (And when you make this, don't forget to post a pic on your social media page of choice with the tag #IzzyFitFood!



1½ Tbs. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped carrot (small pieces)
½ cup thinly sliced celery
1 Tbs. minced fresh garlic
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste)
¼ tsp. salt (or more to taste)
1 fresh thyme sprig
4 cups lower-sodium chicken broth (add 1 cup or more if you want thinner soup)
1 (14.5 ounce) can no-salt added, fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
½ cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
5 ounces green beans cut into ½ inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 cup shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
2 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)

• Heat a heavy-bottomed, medium pot over medium-high heat.
• Add olive oil to pan and swirl to coat the bottom of pan.
  
• Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, pepper, salt, and thyme.  Sauté for 4-6 minutes or until vegetables soften.
  
• Add broth, tomatoes and bring to boil.
  
• Add pasta and beans – cook till pasta is cooked and beans are tender – about 5 minutes.
  
• Lower heat to medium.  Stir in chicken, sprinkle with cheese.
  
• Discard thyme.
  
• Serve with crusty bread and salad.

Recipe can be doubled.  Add more broth as needed. 

Shopping:  olive oil, medium size yellow onion, carrots, fresh garlic, freshly ground black pepper, kosher salt, fresh thyme, chicken broth (low-sodium), orzo pasta, green beans, skinless- boneless breast from rotisserie chicken, fresh Parmesan cheese, grated. 

Tools:  chef knife, cutting board (not glass), measuring spoons and cups, medium pot or Dutch oven, wooden spoon.  

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What’s Cookin’, or Not?
Busy schedules, pressures of the day and a lack of information and know-how often result in no home cooked meals and poor food choices.  Too often meals wind up at a restaurant or at home with a fast-food carry out or a frozen microwave dish.       

Does this sound all too familiar?  Anita Brown Culinary Coach can help you out of this predicament with an array of at-home services to help you navigate your own kitchen and create delicious, good for you meals with an enhanced cooking competency.  

A Word About Your Coach: 
Your personal guide to creating a more cooking friendly kitchen is Chef Anita Brown.  She received her formal culinary training at Kendall College, and has previously worked as a caterer, Culinary Expert for Bloomingdale’s, Cooking School Director for Treasure Island Foods and Chef and Business Developer for the Now We’re Cookin’ Culinary Service Center.   

Anita Brown, Chef
Anita Brown Culinary Coach
P: 847.341.4623
culinarycoach@comcast.net
www.anitaculinarycoach.com