Quickie Chicken Minestrone Recipes

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chicken, onion and celery in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the broth, water, beans, tomatoes, rice and vermicelli mix, vegetables, pepperoni, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. , Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until rice is tender, 18-20 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and, if desired, pepper flakes.

Steps:

• For the smoked chicken broth: Place the chicken stock, garlic, celery, carrot, onion and smoked chicken carcass and backbone into a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Simmer gently for 1 hour over a low flame. Strain, transfer to a large container and reserve (cool completely if making ahead of time).
• For the minestrone: Add the oil to a Dutch oven and bring to medium heat. Sweat the carrots, celery and onions until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, zucchini, cabbage and season with salt and pepper. Sweat the vegetables slowly until all are crisp-tender, about 8 minutes.
• Pour in the reserved stock and the tomatoes. Add the Parmesan rind and simmer 12 to 15 minutes; the vegetables should be tender. Remove from the heat. Add the navy beans and shredded chicken and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle the minestrone into deep bowls and garnish with the shaved parmesan and chopped parsley and basil. Serve immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the chicken: Using kitchen shears, remove the backbone of the chicken and set aside. Cut the chicken in half, straight through the breastbone. By separating the chicken into two pieces it will ensure that the chicken gets smoked more thoroughly. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, the granulated garlic and smoked paprika.
• Place 1 deep aluminum roasting pan over the stove top. Line with aluminum foil. Add the soaked wood chips to a large piece of foil, and then fold in the sides to make a pouch. Punch holes in the top of the pouch, set it directly over a gas burner and turn on high. Leave for 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully. Once it begins to smoke, using tongs, transfer the pouch to the bottom of the lined roasting pan. Set a wire rack over the chips in the lined roasting pan and position it so the wood chips are directly over the burner and continue to smoke. Place the chicken pieces bone-side down on the rack. Cover tightly with aluminum foil to seal in the smoke. Put the roasting pan into the oven and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove and cool. Shred the smoked chicken breast.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook and stir chicken in the hot oil until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir basil, honey, and balsamic vinegar into chicken and cook for 1 more minute.

Steps:

• Start the soup: Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, scallions, carrots, garlic and mushrooms and season with salt and the oregano. Cook over medium high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables become tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes so the tomatoes lose their raw taste.
• Cook the chicken and pasta: Season the chicken breasts with salt on all sides. Lower the heat and add the chicken breasts and elbow macaroni. Simmer until the pasta cooks and the chicken breasts are cooked through and register 160 degrees F on a meat thermometer, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Finish: Turn off the heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and transfer to a flat surface. Put a fork in each piece of chicken to hold it in place and avoid touching the hot meat with your hands as you cut. Slice the chicken into small pieces and add it back into the soup. Allow the soup to "stand" on the stove for 5 minutes before serving. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the basil and cheese.

Steps:

• Make the soup base: In a medium-size heavy soup pot, combine the oil and pancetta over medium-low heat to slowly render the fat and cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the onion or shallots, celery and carrot. Pulse until finely chopped. Add to pot with cooked pancetta and adjust heat so the vegetables soften and cook without browning, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the other vegetables: Stirring after each addition, add the kale or cabbage, celery, carrots, zucchini, beans and tomatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Add the stock and 1 cup water (or, if you prefer a soup that's not as thick, add additional stock to taste, up to 2 cups). Add the herb sprigs. Cover, raise the heat and bring to a full boil. Uncover, lower the heat to a bubbly simmer, and cook 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Remove the herb sprigs.
• Serve in bowls, drizzling a little olive oil and sprinkling a big pinch of cheese over each serving.

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until softened, 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with juice and cook until liquid is evaporated, 4 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add pasta, carrots, and Parmesan rind, if using, and cook 5 minutes. Add kale, zucchini, and chickpeas and cook until zucchini is crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and cook until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove rind before serving. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

Steps:

• Bring all ingredients except cheese to boil in large saucepan, stirring occasionally.
• Simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. or until chicken is done and pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
• Serve topped with remaining cheese.