Thursday, January 13, 2011

Italian Chicken Soup!

Hi everyone! Today I'm joining Foodie Friday and Friday's Favorites! Ever make something that just screams "healthy", well this is it! Once you get past the sausage that is... Barley, lentils, chick peas, spinach and garlic. We had a full day of snow and I felt like making something that would be comforting and warm.
When I found this recipe on allrecipes it was written for a pressure cooker. I love my PC, but wanted something that would simmer for a while on the stove so that's how I cooked it.
Hope you love it if you try it:@)

Italian Chicken Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 4 Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup pearl barley
  • 1 cup green lentils
  • 1 bone-in chicken breast half, skin removed
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
  • 1 (16 ounce) bag fresh spinach leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup mild salsa

Directions

  1. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat. Add sausage meat, and cook until browned, breaking it into crumbles. Remove sausage to a plate and drain oil. Add another 1 teaspoon of olive oil to pressure cooker; cook onion and garlic until onion is transparent. Add barley and stir 1 minute. Return sausage to pressure cooker. Add lentils, chicken, parsley, and chicken stock to cooker, adding enough stock to completely cover chicken. Close cover securely; place pressure regulator on vent pipe. Bring pressure cooker to full pressure over high heat (this may take 15 minutes). Reduce heat to medium high; cook for 9 minutes. Pressure regulator should maintain a slow steady rocking motion; adjust heat if necessary.
  2. Remove pressure cooker from heat; use quick-release following manufacturer's instructions or allow pressure to drop on its own. Open cooker and remove chicken; shred meat and return to soup. Add garbanzo beans, spinach and salsa; stir to blend and heat through before serving.

My Notes:
  1. I would use the pressure cooker next time. In the earlier stages of cooking this, you could really taste the fennel seed from the sausage. That was very nice, it mellowed the longer the soup cooked.
  2. I used Italian Sweet Sausage, not turkey.
  3. I would cut back on the lentils. Maybe 1/2 to 3/4 cup.
  4. They call this a soup, it's a stew. I kept adding more stock, it just kept getting thicker!
  5. The salsa gets lost in the soup. I would add a nice heaping tablespoon to each bowl instead.
  6. I did grate some Parmesan/Reggiano on top, very nice!
  7. This does freeze well.
  8. I will make this again and do highly recommend it. Might be nice with a few more veggies in it too.

28 comments:

  1. That soup definitely looks warm, comforting and filling! Perfect for a day of snow!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lynn, that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe. It's cold here today, too!

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mmmm.... the one good thing about winter is all the wonderful soup recipes. This one is a definite keeper. I am going to try this one out soon! Thanks for the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  4. mmmm I am going to share this on ND Kitchen's facebook page. looks so yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am an Italian proud of you... :D ciao, Flavia

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds yummy. I'll cook it on the stove top as well. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yum, this looks warm and comforting. I wish that I had a bowl right now!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Will you adopt me? This looks amazing, Lynn. I've been craving some sort of chicken soup. This sounds healthy and hearty.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This looks absolutely yummy, Lynn. I am wondering...what section of the store do you buy lentils in? I was looking for them everywhere yesterday for a sup recipe. Thanks!

    XO,
    Jane

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think we just traded soup recipes :) I am always looking for a new one and this one sounds good! Anything with spinach and garlic tempts me! I am terrified of my pressure cooker (I think my grandmother did that to me as a child :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think I will make soup tonight, better get started. This one looks great. I love the chicken in it, perfect for winter. Isn't soup just wonderful?

    ReplyDelete
  12. That sounds really good. Even in Florida, with it being 50 degrees in the daytime, soup tastes good. Thanks for the recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mmmm yummy! Perfect for a cold weather...Christine

    ReplyDelete
  14. This looks so good!

    Thanks for the recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ok, I'm making this! Yum! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Absolutely delicious, and your bowl is really lovely. Thanks for sharing. This is perfect for winter.
    blessings, Beth

    ReplyDelete
  17. This sounds very good. The thing I love about soups and stews is the way they freeze so well. I LOVE have a couple in my freezer for icy cold nights.
    I will try this real soon.
    xo bj

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Lynn
    I love lentils so I know I'd love this soup.
    I think all of us snowed in had the same idea to make soup this week :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Perfect for a cold winter's day. This would just about hit the spot!
    Another friday's favorite for sure :-)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Lynn, Gosh I haven't thought about pressure cookers in a long time. I got rid of mine a long time ago. I do use the crock pot frequently though. When my family was young I did use a pressure cooker a lot. This recipe cooked slow works well though. Like you I love the great smell of food simmering.
    We still have so much snow too. Good days for soups, stews and home made cookies. Smile.
    Hugs, Jeanne

    ReplyDelete
  21. Good morning Lynn, I had a good laugh about the man in the beans. When I first saw that pic on my email, the bottom part wasn't in view. I drove myself nuts trying to find that man. I was sure I was lacking major protein in my diet. HA! I had fun though and wanted to share it.
    BTW, we are up kind of early huh? It is 12 degrees and tons of snow here on our mountain still. Brrrrr. Our pup was walking on top of the crusty snow and all of a sudden she dropped almost out of sight as the snow gave way. She is only 12 lbs. It was so funny. Where was my camera?
    Have a great day.
    Hugs, Jeanne

    ReplyDelete
  22. Even my husband, who isn't a huge soup lover, would like this one I think. (And don't you love allrecipes? I swear it and blogland are my only cookbooks right now.)

    ReplyDelete
  23. We love a good, hearty soup like this on a cold day, especially the aroma of it simmering on the stove.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I have all the stuff to make that tonight! I babysitting one of my grandkiddo's today/tonight perhaps I"ll throw it all in the crock pot. Thanks!

    ~Rainey~

    ReplyDelete
  25. This sounds wonderful! I love the addition of the lentils, barley and chickpeas - nice and hearty.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Yum. This sounds perfect for a day like today.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Yum...this soup looks decicious.

    I'm having the very first GIVEAWAY on my blog. Please stop by to submit your entry. Good Luck! http://utry.it/2011/01/happy-birthday-to-meand-very-first.html#comments

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by-enjoy your day!