Chicken, Kale and Mushroom Soup

I made a good chicken stock by stewing a chicken in water with mirepoix (celery, carrots and onions), oregano, salt and pepper and a bay leaf for several hours, removing all the meat and vegetables and straining for a relatively clear broth. I reserved the chicken for sandwiches and salads and stored the broth in covered containers in the fridge. I also saved about 1 cup of the carrots, celery and onions from the mirepoix to add back into this soup.

To make this soup, I turned the heat on a dry saucepan to low-medium. I sliced up 3 large mushrooms and cooked them without oil for about 5 minutes. This intensified the mushroom flavor and if you keep your heat low enough, they won’t burn or stick because they have enough moisture – moisture than you are sweating out so you get the richest mushroom flavor. I then added 2 cups of broth and brought the heat up to a simmer. I tossed about 1/2 cup or so of the mirepoix I had saved. I cleaned 3 stalks of kale, removing the ribs and slicing into small pieces. I added them to the broth and let simmer until tender. I added salt and pepper to taste.

The broth was rich and flavorful and the mushrooms added a rich earthy flavor while the kale gave it a hearty feeling. This soup was pure comfort food, rich in umami flavor.

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