Carrot, Chicken & Zucchini Soup

Cooking for the week is a big help when you have a long commute to work. I miss the days of making it home an hour before my husband. It gave me enough time to prepare a modest meal and have the kitchen half cleaned-up (I say half cleaned because I use a lot of dishes when I cook. His biggest pet peeve!). So, making a large pot of soup is great for those nights when we sit in bed, share a large salad and watch a ballgame. This soup was pretty easy to put together. I didn't even use a recipe. Kind of strange when you think about it, that I cooked this and then wrote down what I did! Anyway, the chicken thighs in this are a great because they are cheap and retain great flavor. The lemon adds a nice kick of freshness. In case you didn't notice, I put lemon in a lot of things. Maybe that ought to be my cookbook theme "Lemons All-Around!" The recipe makes a nice pot to serve two, for a few meals.


4 Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs
2 Small Zucchini, Cut Lengthwise then Sliced
2 Large Handfuls Baby Carrots, Cut in Half
1 Large Onion, Diced
3 Large Garlic Cloves, Minced
Zest of One Lemon
1 Tablespoon Thyme
Juice of Half Lemon
8 Cups Chicken Broth*
2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Divided
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper


Start by heating 1 tablespoon oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and fresh pepper. Add chicken to soup pot. Cook on both sides until done, about 8 minutes total. Remove chicken and rest on large cutting board. Lower heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of oil to pot. Add onions and scrape the chicken bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook onion stirring frequently until soft and browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add zucchini, carrots salt and pepper to taste and cook until zucchini is soft. The carrots will soften as the soup cooks.Add thyme and lemon zest and cook 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Add to soup. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook at a simmer until carrots are soft. Add lemon juice and serve. 


*Gluten-Free if required.