Yes, I do know it's the middle of May and I'm having soup for dinner. May and June often have some of the coolest daytime temperatures in SoCal. It was mid-60s and drizzly the day I made this. And then hot by the weekend, followed by more cold gloom. For anyone who thinks it's always sunny and 72º in this part of the world.
I did not realize the red chard was going to bolt so early. I didn't expect it to last a whole year like the kale, but was hoping for more than three good months. It was making up for not having any beets, which always make up for my terrible luck growing spinach. I'm also losing last year's celery, which had always under-performed anyway. Oh well, more room for something else.
*1 quart unsalted chicken stock
*1 C diced onion
1 Tb olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
*2 bunches mixed greens such as kale, chard, or spinach
*1 Tb soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
*1/4 tsp dried thyme
*1/2 lb cooked chicken: shredded, chopped up leftovers, or canned
*1 C dry macaroni or other small pasta, or egg noodles
salt and pepper to taste
1. In a soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. While that's going on, wash and chop the greens, de-stemming if necessary. I chopped up the chard stems to add, but the kale's went in the broth bag.
2. Add the carrots, broth, soy sauce, thyme, and any tough greens to the pot. My broth was still a little frozen, so I'm not sure how long this step would take with room-temperature out of a can.3. While the soup is simmering, prepare pasta according to package directions. Go for slightly under-done, as it will continue to cook when added to the pot. As an alternative, you can add the pasta directly to the soup for a starchy consistency, but also add an extra cup of broth.4. Once the carrots and greens have softened, stir in any tender greens and the cooked chicken. Taste and add salt or pepper as necessary.5. Drain the pasta and add to the soup. Stir to combine and serve immediately.
Difficulty rating :)