Potato Soup

Ingredients: Potatoes, onion, olive oil, granulated garlic, sea salt, basil, spinach, dried red pepper flakes, chicken, and chicken stock.

This tasty, slightly spicy, soup is quick and easy to make. It literally took me less than thirty minutes from start to finish. It would make a great lunch with a side salad or served as an appetizer with pasta for dinner.

Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stock pot. Add six peeled and cubed russet potatoes, half of a diced onion, half a teaspoon of granulated garlic, one to two teaspoons of dried red pepper flakes, and half a teaspoon sea salt. Cook this for about eight minutes, stirring often.

Stir in one cup of chopped fresh basil, two cups of chopped fresh spinach, and one cup of chopped, pre-cooked chicken breast.  (I use leftover roasted chicken from the night before.) Pour in just enough chicken stock to cover the potatoes and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover for another fifteen to twenty minutes until the potatoes are soft but not quite falling apart.

Depending on the flavor of your chicken stock, you may need to add more salt to taste.

Experiment: Add fresh red bell peppers. Try kale instead of spinach. Use cooked Italian ground sausage instead of chicken. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end for an added twist. Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Tags: entree, fall, side dishes, soup, spicy