CHicken Veggie Soup

■You know those half bags of frozen veggies in your freezer? Put them to use in this delicious soup!


Vegetarians: just change the stock to vegetable and leave out the chicken.

Ingredients:
1 whole 3-5 pound chicken

1 medium white onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, sliced
1 medium zucchini, chopped*
1/2 head cabbage, sliced thin
1 cup frozen Italian beans
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 can tomato paste
1 carton chicken stock
water
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp Emeril's Bayou Blast seasoning, or similar
1 tsp oregano

place chicken in a Dutch Oven (or soup pot) and cover with chicken stock. Add celery, onion, carrots, cabbage, and seasonings, dash of pepper and 1 tsp salt. (You can add more later, if necessary). Add water to cover chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 1-1 1/2 hrs. Remove from heat and carefully remove chicken. Shred or cut up chicken and return to pot. Add tomato paste and frozen veggies. Bring back to a boil and then turn down to simmer for 30-45 min.

*Note- notice how small I dice the zucchini? If you have someone in the family who doesn't like it, much, they will barely notice it this way! The cabbage and zucchini almost melt away, so the nutirion is there but not big chunks of it!

This soup does take time to make. If you can, make it on your day off - tastes better the next day anyway!