Chicken Soup for the Soul (a labor of love)!

Today was Labor Day - also a Labor of Cooking Love Day - Homemade chicken soup was on the menu!!!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons Canola oil

• 1 Chicken cut up in 8 pieces

• 2 cups chopped onion (1/2" pieces)

• 2 cups sliced or chopped carrots (1/2" pieces)

• 2 medium to large leeks cleaned and chopped (1/2" pieces)

• 2 medium sized parsnips (1/2" pieces)

• 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated

• 2 whole bay leaves

• 6 quarts water

• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence

Directions

1. Heat the oil in your pot over medium to high heat until shimmering (I like using our 9 quart Le Creuset Dutch Oven).

2. I like to brown the chicken in my pot first. When the chicken is browned remove the chicken and sit aside on a platter.

3. Saute your vegetables to picked up the fond in the pot.

4. Season with herbs de Provence, salt pepper, and the bay leaves

5. Add water and let simmer away and you will be rewarded with a very rich result!!!

In our family we strain and press out the liquid from the cooked vegetables. We also pick the chicken from the bones (makes a great chicken salad). We dice some of the cooked chicken for adding back into the soup.

As Always Best Regards and Bon AppetIT,

TheITGourmet