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I wasn’t planning on putting this recipe on the blog, which is why there are next to no pictures of it. But I do believe that it healed Mike and I of our illnesses that we contracted from who knows where (my money is on my kind coworkers -_-) so for that reason alone I will be forever grateful of my Winter Wellness Soup. It seems like everyone and their brother are sick right now, at least in New England. So posting a strong flu fighter like this just makes sense right now.

Mike gifted me a Lodge Dutch Oven for Christmas! I’ve been wanting one for years but I was putting it off because I didn’t think we really had the space for it. Now that I’ve commandeered the tall rack we have in our dining room for my auxiliary kitchen supplies, I’ve got the room I needed! So that’s where my Dutch Oven lives when not in use.

My first Dutch Oven recipe ever was this soup. Since I was sick I wanted something relatively hands off. For this recipe all you have to do is literally throw the ingredients in the pot and let the stove do the rest of the work. Because of this I am now a big big fan of Dutch Ovens and I can’t wait to use mine for more recipes! You can saute the vegetables in some cooking fat before adding the rest of the ingredients if you wish. My soup finished with the vegetables having a slight crunch to them, but I didn’t care one bit. The next time I make this soup I’m sure I will make it the exact same way I did the first time, which I have outlined below.

Mike and I are hopping on a plane for Florida this week! We leave on Thursday night after work. We are going to my college friend’s wedding on Saturday. BUT I’m smart and made this trip a double whammy and we’re going to hang out with my high school BFF while we’re down there. Luckily these two friends live only about an hour away from one another. I haven’t seen my high school BFF Katie in THREE YEARS so I absolutely cannot wait to see her face. She’s one of my favorite humans on the entire planet and I just love her so much. I am in her wedding in New Orleans in April so I’ll see her then too, but I cannot wait to hang out with her in a much smaller crowd this coming weekend. She’s just the best.

Long story short, airports and just traveling in general are giant germy cesspools. I can’t wait to be stuck in a tiny (probably middle, knowing my luck) seat with the unwashed masses with no airflow for three straight hours. I’d better get used to it. I have a LOT of travel in 2020. At least I know what to make for myself if I do feel like I’m coming down with something! HELLO Dutch Oven.

thehungryhungryhiker

Winter Wellness Soup

Toss a plethora of flu-fighting ingredients in a Dutch Oven and let the stove do the rest of the work!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 5 people
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 white onion, large diced
  • 3 carrots, large peeled and diced
  • 3 celery stalks, large diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, large minced
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced
  • 1 + ¼ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled
  • 8 cups chicken broth or stock
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 zucchini, medium spiralized
  • 3 large handfuls kale de-stemmed and torn

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven

Method
 

  1. Add all of the ingredients except for the zucchini and the kale to a large Dutch Oven (preferably) or a large heavy bottomed pot. Stir to combine and cook over medium low/medium heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Soup should be simmering but not boiling.
  2. After 1 hour, remove the bay leaves and ginger and discard. Pull the chicken thighs from the soup and use two forks to shred. Add the shredded chicken back into the soup with the zucchini and the kale. Simmer over medium heat 10-15 minutes more, until kale has wilted and zucchini has softened. Ladle into bowls, serve hot, and enjoy!