INGREDIENTS
This is what you need for 8 quarts = 16+ servings:
- 2-3 large chicken legs
- 2-4 green bell peppers
- up to 1/2 head celery
- 1 large onion
- 4-6 small grey zucchinis
- S&P
optional:
- 2-4 lbs. tomatoes / 1 qt. tomato sauce
- diced chipotle
Pic1: chicken (tomato) soup with bell peppers, celery, onions, zucchini
Directions
2020-05-23
Pic2: chicken legs in waterPic3: seasoning
Pic4: onions
chicken soup:
- Combine chicken legs with water in a large stock pot.
- Add S&P, seasoning to taste.
I used 1 sachet each of Knorr 'vegetable recipe mix' and 'vegetable spring mix.' - Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15-25 minutes, depending on the size of the legs.
- Remove the chicken legs and reserve.
They will be finished in a frying pan.
vegetables:
- Chop / cut the onion, bell peppers, celery coarsely. ( = Cajun trinity without the Cajun)
- Sauté the onions in olive oil.
The Cajun trinity
Pic5: onions, green bell peppersPic6: add celery
Pic7: stew
- Add bell peppers and celery and 1 cup of water.
- Mix together.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
Pic8: grey aka Mexican zucchinisPic9: add
Pic10: stew
- Clean and slice the zucchinis.
- Add to the frying pan.
- Stew another 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
I stewed the vegetables only minimally to avoid cooking it all to death. This way, all the vegetables still had their individual flavors when I added them to the soup and were flavorful enough to be served as a side dish with the meal.
Pic11: add to soupPic12: yesterday's tomato sauce / soup — 2020-05-22
Pic13: add tomatoes
soup again:
- Add the vegetables to the soup.
- Simmer very briefly, just enough to warm the vegetables and the soup through.
- optional:
- Add tomato sauce / soup or 2 lbs. fresh tomatoes.
- Adjust seasoning.
- Serve and enjoy.
Serving suggestion:
- Add sliced chipotle peppers to taste to each bowl when served for extra heat.
b. pan-fried soup-chicken
served with soup-veggies, quinoa, jackfruit, Caribbean rice
2020-05-24
Since store-bought chicken legs are usually young fryers, I no longer boil the chicken legs to death in the soup. I only parboil them, 10-15 minutes, depending on their size. That way the soup has a definite chicken flavor but the chicken legs still have a lot of flavor left in them. I then finish the chicken legs either in the oven or frying pan. It is not the same as a fryer chicken, but a close enough approximation to still be enjoyable.
This was a generous meal with several vegetable side dishes.
I did not want the soup vegetables overcooked because I intended to serve them with the meal.
Pic14: refried soup chicken served with soup veggies, quinoa, jackfruit
Pic15+16: pan-fry ... until done
Pic17: the meal
Pic20: Caribbean rice