Chicken, Spinach and Bean Soup (Plus Blog News)

Delicious and hearty Chicken, Spinach and Bean Soup. I'm not huge into beans but I loved this soup. Also, keep reading below for some news on the future of this blog!

Serve with french bread or baguette with butter and you have a wonderful meal.

Onto blog news. I have about 3 or 4 more recipes to post from a while back and then I'll be making a lot of low carb-high fat "keto" recipes. BUT, this doesn't mean I will never post regular recipes again. I still cook normally for my kids and I wouldn't deprive them of ever having a chocolate chip cookie again.

This way of eating for the past few weeks has been incredible for my health and well being. I used to rely on over the counter sleep medicine EVERY night to sleep, and I haven't had to take a single once since I went low carb. I have had a lot of pain in my feet from auto immune issues, at times it was crippling. The pain has gone down a lot, not 100% but still, quite a lot. I feel so much better, with more energy, no swelling in my feet, etc. I've also lost a lot of weight in that time, which I am excited about.

I wanted to let you folks know that there will be a slight change in focus on my blog, but I will still be posting 'regular' recipes along with low carb ones. I hope you enjoy!


Chicken, Spinach and Bean Soup
Makes 10-12 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 chicken breasts, simmer 20 minutes. Cool then shred.
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 8 carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, drained
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 quarts chicken broth or stock
• 2 Tablespoons chicken bouillon paste (Better Than Bouillon) - Optional but we thought it needed a stronger chicken flavor.
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large soup pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 1 minute. Then add chopped red bell pepper and cook for another minute on medium-high heat. Remove vegetables from the pan.
2. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, heat it up on medium-high heat. Slice chicken into small pieces. Season chicken slices generously with paprika, oregano, basil, and salt. Saute on medium-high heat until browned on both sides. The chicken does not have to be cooked all the way through, as you will continue cooking it in the next steps.
3. Return cooked onions and bell pepper to the pan. Add chopped carrots, tomatoes, red kidney beans, fresh spinach, and minced garlic. Add chicken broth and chicken bouillon paste. Add 1/2 teaspoon of oregano and 1/2 teaspoon basil. Bring to boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes until carrots are cooked and chicken cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Adapted from Julia's Album.