It’s Always Soup Season: Lemony Chicken and Vegetable Soup

The fact that soup has become one of my favorite things to cook and eat, is pretty ironic, considering my first feeble attempts at soup making, and my general attitude that soup was not a real meal. To me, soup had mostly been something to eat when you were sick, or cold, or too lazy to make anything more time consuming than pouring the contents of a can into a bowl and nuking it in the microwave.

Over the years, I have learned to appreciate soups as a year-round way to impart lots of nutrition into an easy to make and eat meal. Like anything, learning a technique and plenty of practice are the way to achieve success, no matter the task at hand. Soup is not just throwing a hodgepodge of ingredients into a pot and covering it with liquid. Oh sure, this method may produce something that looks like soup, but will most likely taste like lumpy dishwater. A tasty soup should be built with layers of flavor and quality ingredients. To do this, all soups should begin with a base of aromatics such as onions, carrots and celery. This is a classic mirepoix and is the base used in recipe I am featuring today. Aromatic bases are not limited to mirepoix; many different cuisines have their own signature starters. For example, Puerto Rican sofrito (peppers, onions and tomatoes) or Cajun holy trinity (onions, green bell pepper and celery). Seasoning with salt, pepper and spices and tasting as you go are important. If you are trying to reduce sodium, adding a splash of acid, such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar will help to waken up the flavors in your pot.

The Lemony Chicken and Vegetable Soup on the menu today, was inspired by a client's love of roasted lemon-pepper chicken as well as the changing seasons. It is officially spring on the calendar, and time to lighten up the flavors and colors in the soup pot. Enjoy and always remember to make every plate something to be passionate about!