Chicken Provencal Soup with Carrots, Zucchini and Sweet Potato

This past weekend I had a garage sale, and my friend, Barb, came to help.  We did OK, considering what we were selling, mostly household items, and a few antiques, but never again. They are so much work, and even though our street had four garage sales, we didn't have a lot of traffic. Some of the remaining items are going to Craig's List, and the rest to Goodwill.  The weather was sunny, but unseasonably cool, in the 50's, so the early morning temps were in the 30's.  Needless to say I was wearing many layers. Because the forecast was for cool temps, I knew that I would want soup for lunch.  You can only drink so much hot coffee to keep warm. Thank goodness for my slow cooker, because I certainly didn't have time to make the soup the night before the garage sale.

I made Chicken Provencal Soup in the slow cooker, with a change.  Instead of the high carb red potatoes, I added sweet potatoes  instead, and the soup was so good, low sodium, fat, and carbs.  I just added all of the ingredients to the slow cooker in the order listed, all at once, and turned it on high for 4-6  hours. I didn't saute any of the veggies or brown the chicken beforehand.  If you you like your veggies, a little crisper, cook until the chicken is just done,  maybe on low for 8 hours, depending on your schedule. This soup has several  layers of flavor with the herbs. I couldn't use my fresh herbs, because it was pouring rain and walnuts. There were high winds, and it sounded like we were being bombed for several hours.  Even Bailey the Wonder Dog, who isn't afraid of thunder, was shaking.

We have thousands of walnuts in our yard, no exaggeration! The yard, driveway, and patio are wall to wall walnuts.  Some of my neighbors have been in their homes for 25 years, and it has never been this bad. There is no way that you can pick up all of them.  Scott is "mulching" them with the lawn tractor. What I mess. All of my neighbors are ready to harvest some of them for the wood  If you want any walnuts, send me an e-mail.  Enjoy!

Chicken Provencal Soup with Carrots, Zucchini and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 medium carrots, peeled
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium yellow skinned onion, peeled and halved
• Salt and pepper  did not add salt
• 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence, available on spice aisle or, 1 teaspoon each dried sage, rosemary and thyme
• 1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 (can diced tomatoes (14 ounces) I used no salt tomatoes
• 1 quart plus 1 cup chicken stock , Low sodium form Trader Joe’s
• 1 pound chicken tenders or chicken breast, diced

Preparation

Pre-heat one medium soup pot over medium high heat. While soup pot heats, chop carrots into 1/4-inch dice, then add garlic, and stir to coat in olive oil. Chop the zucchini, pepper and onion into 1/2 inch dice and drop into the pot. Season all the veggies with salt and pepper and Herbes de Provence.

Cook the veggies together for five minutes. While they cook, cut sweet potatoes into small chunks. Add wine to vegetables and reduce a minute or so. Add the tomatoes, cut sweet potatoes, and stock to the pot, cover the pot and raise heat to high.

Bring the soup to a boil, then add cut chicken and simmer 8-10 minutes until potatoes are just tender and chicken is cooked through.  Serve with crusty bread, if desired.

Chicken Provencal Soup with Carrots, Zucchini and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 medium carrots, peeled
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium yellow skinned onion, peeled and halved
• Salt and pepper  did not add salt
• 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence, available on spice aisle or, 1 teaspoon each dried sage, rosemary and thyme
• 1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes or   baby red potatoes, peeled
• 1 cup dry white wine I used 11/2 c white wine and 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 (can diced tomatoes (14 ounces) I used no salt tomatoes
• 1 quart plus 1 cup chicken stock , Low sodium form Trader Joe’s
• 1 pound chicken tenders or chicken breast, diced

Preparation- Stovetop

Pre-heat one medium soup pot over medium high heat. While soup pot heats, chop carrots into 1/4-inch dice, then add garlic, and stir to coat in EVOO. Chop the zucchini, pepper and onion into 1/2 inch dice and drop into the pot. Season all the veggies with salt and pepper and Herbes de Provence.

Cook the veggies together for five minutes. While they cook, cut sweet potatoes into small chunks. Add wine to vegetables and reduce a minute or so. Add the tomatoes, cut sweet potatoes, and stock to the pot, cover the pot and raise heat to high.

Bring the soup to a boil, then add cut chicken and simmer 8-10 minutes until potatoes are just tender and chicken is cooked through.  Serve with crusty bread, if desired, if you aren't watching your carbs!