Ingredients
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olive oil
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10 hearts celery (I estimated 8 whole stalks, but only had hearts)
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8 -10 medium carrots (6 large would be enough)
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8 medium sized potatoes, roughly diced (maybe just 4-5 larger Idaho baking potatoes?)
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10 -12 garlic cloves
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4 quarts chicken stock (2 from boxed broth, 2 from concentrate)
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5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
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2 (28 ounce) cans tomatoes, 28 oz can and (I used "Generic" Safeway Diced Petite, (1, 1)
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1 cup of chopped parsley
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white pepper (2 tablespoons total?)
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black pepper (1.5 or 2 tablespoons?)
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salt (1.5 tablespoon?, and then salted to taste at end)
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2 lbs ditalini, as needed when serving (or stubby pasta of choice)
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2 1/2 medium green peppers
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3 medium sweet onions
Instructions
- In a large stockpot (16 quart minimum / 20 quart recommended) heat olive oil under fairly low to medium heat.
- "Sweat" onion, celery, green pepper and some salt (to draw off moisture) for perhaps 30 minutes -- this is lower than browning, and makes the veggies somewhat translucent. I covered, and mixed every few minutes to prevent browning.
- Add carrots, garlic, some white pepper and some black pepper, and continue to heat under "sweat" conditions while mixing now and then.
- Add chicken stock, chicken breasts, tomatoes and potatoes -- and of course some more white pepper and black pepper.
- Cover and simmer on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours (or use crock pot?).
- Remove chicken and let cool and stand to shred.
- Add chopped parsley and return the shredded chicken to the soup.
- Salt to taste at this point, and add more white and black pepper if your tongue is not twitching a bit when you sample. ;-).
- Simmer while cooking ditalini (or other stubby pasta).
- Serve soup over cooked pasta to taste.
- Note: Like many soups, this may be better made the day before and then served when needed. We will freeze some for ready-made meals and I think it will work out well.