The Evolving Meal or Roast Chicken and Turnip Soup

One of my favorite and easiest meals is roast chicken*.  I put the chicken in with herbs and potatoes and let it cook to juicy goodness.  Sometimes I cook it all in the slow cooker if I have a busy evening or if I want very soft meat to use in quesadillas or chicken salad later in the week.  This week, my husband was coming down with a cold and I wanted to make a nourishing soup to keep us all healthy.  The soup could be adjusted to your own tastes and ingredients. I used what I had in the fridge and the result was excellent.

The recipes:

Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Onions

1 whole chicken
chicken giblets
3 or more whole  cloves of garlic to taste
1-3 sliced onions (varietal your choice)
4 or more diced potatoes (depending on size)
parmesean cheese
rosemary
pepper
thyme
lemon juice from one fresh lemon, zest as well if you like a lemony flavor

Preheat oven to 385 degrees. Place the chicken in a 9x12 pan, or dutch oven, or roaster...whatever you have. Sprinkle the chicken with pepper, lemon juice/zest, herbs and parmesean cheese.  Arrange the potatoes, giblets, onions and garlic around the chicken. I like to stuff some onions inside the chicken as well.  Place in heated over and cook uncovered for 2 hours or as appropriate for you size bird.  Meat thermometer should read 180 when done or the legs should pull off with ease.  1-2 time during cooking stir the potatoes and baste everything with the drippings from the chicken.  Serve with salad and bread. We've been on a big sour cream kick and add a dollop to the potatoes.  The garlic will be tender and sweet and perfect for spreading on bread.

Step 2:

Once the chicken has cooled remove all the meat and place aside for storage with all remaining vegetables.  You can choose to add drippings to this or just add to broth.  The chicken carcass, skin and any uneaten giblets can be placed in a slow cooker and covered with water. Depending on the size of you slow cooker start with 5 cups.  Cook for 15-35 hours on low.  Feel free to add any vegetable scraps, carrot tops, onion skins, bay leaves or peppercorns if you are so inclined.  Water may need to be added depending on how long you cook the broth.  

When the broth is finished (you can make perpetual broth  for a up to a week or you can choose to use it after a day) strain the solids and discard.  Set aside the remaining broth for your soup. 

Roast Chicken and Turnip Soup

1 sliced leek
2 minced garlic cloves
chicken meat
1 bunch kale
2 peeled and sliced kholrabi
3 peeled and sliced sweet turnips
1- 2 inch chunk of fresh ginger grated
3 cups chicken bone broth
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon kelp powder 
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs olive oil

In a large dutch oven saute leeks in olive oil for 5-7 minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 3-5 more minutes.  Add the ginger, turnips, kohlrabi and anything else you want to add such as carrots, celery or potatoes. Saute for 5-7 minutes.  Add the chicken meat and broth.Add nutritional yeast (flavor and B vitamins) and kelp powder (for iodine).  Simmer everything for 25-30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm.    







* As much as possible I use all organic ingredients and pastured meat, chicken, eggs and dairy products.