If you remember from my "what's in store for 2016" post, I am planning to start sharing more quick, under 30 minute healthy recipes. Why? Because the recipes I've found via Pinterest often look way too labor intensive for a regular week night dinner (who has time to spend an hour just chopping vegetables?). I'm in this stage of life where I want to cook healthy meals for my family (at least 4 to 5 nights a week), but I don't have the time to spend much more than 30 minutes in the kitchen every night. There's homework and after school activities and sometimes after we're done "doing all the stuff" I just want to enjoy some family time without having to think too much about how I'm going to get dinner served and cleaned up before bedtime. While I do meal plan (which helps a great deal), I don't enjoy spending hours every week in the kitchen, and while I love a good crock pot recipe I don't usually have the energy in the morning to throw dinner together or really to even think about what we'll be eating for dinner that night. So to make a long story short, if any of you have felt that same way, hopefully this year at Our Fifth House you'll find some new simple, delicious, healthy and quick recipes to add to your repertoire.
Today I'm sharing my recipe for Tomato Basil Chicken Soup, which just so happens to be my husband's favorite meal.
Whether or not your gluten free or dairy free really makes no difference. This soup is a crowd pleaser for sure. But if you are dairy free you'll get to enjoy a nice creamy soup that is totally safe for you to enjoy, as this recipe calls for coconut milk instead of cow's milk which is the perfect pairing against the fire roasted tomatoes that make up the base. What I personally love about this soup is that there is hardly any chopping or advance preparations of any kind. And if you're like me and you stock your pantry with cans of roasted tomatoes, crushed tomatoes with basil and coconut milk you will love that you can bust this soup out using ingredients that you already have on hand. Either way, from start to finish this soup takes less than 30 minutes to make and will taste like you've been slaving away all day! And it's perfect for a cold, winter night, plus the chicken makes it hearty enough to stand alone. And while this recipe would be even "healthier" using fresh home grown tomatoes……….even using the canned tomatoes it's still paleo approved.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil (or your preferred cooking oil)
5 Cloves of Garlic - chopped
6 Chicken Tenders ( or 2 Boneless Breasts) - chopped
1 Large (28 oz) can of Crushed Tomatoes w/ Basil - (or an Italian Style Crushed or Diced Tomatoes)
1 Medium (14.5 oz) can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1 (13.5 oz) can of full fat Coconut Milk
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
1/4 Cup of Chopped Fresh Basil
(* Optional garnish - More chopped basil and goat cheese crumbles)
Directions:
Heat coconut oil in a large soup pot and add chopped garlic. Once the garlic starts to sizzle, add in chopped chicken. If you're lazy like I am, use chicken tenders and don't bother chopping them before. Just break them apart as they're cooking. It's easier to do that with small chicken tenders than with larger breasts of chicken. Season chicken while it's cooking with a little salt and pepper. Now, if your family is like mine and doesn't like any lumps of tomato in their soup, then open your can of crushed tomatoes with basil and your can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and pour into a magic bullet, food processor or blender to puree. If your family doesn't mind a chunkier soup then skip that step and just add your tomatoes directly to your soup pot without pureeing first. Either way once the tomatoes are added in, reduce the heat and stir in the coconut milk and spices. Let simmer and once it comes to a boil, stir in the chopped basil and serve. Garnish however you like! I prefer more chopped basil and goat cheese crumbles (the only dairy I can tolerate).
It's so good you guys! You'll have a hard time waiting for it to cool to enjoy!
If you can handle a little more heat, add more cayenne pepper. The combination of heat with the roasted tomatoes and coconut milk is like a match made in flavor heaven! Give it a try you guys; I promise you'll love it!
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