Chicken & Kale Soup

January is in full swing, and so I've gone back to eating healthy / being good.  I think one of the reasons I fell off the wagon (besides the usual "it's the Holidays" excuse) was because I got a little bored with the usual healthy meals in my rotation.  Breakfast and lunch are no-brainers for me.  Dinner is where I get stuck.  I don't want to "deprive" my teenage son of potatoes and bread and desserts, but I personally need to stay away from them as much as possible.  I also don't want to make separate meals, so finding healthy meals that meets everyone's needs isn't always easy.   

Therefore, I do believe the quest for finding new and healthy dinner options has begun!  When I serve something like soup, chowder or stew, I always give my son a roll or piece of garlic bread to go with it.  I refrain, but he's a teenager with quite an appetite, so bread is OK for him.  I always have homemade rolls stashed in my freezer for occasions like that.  

This soup is the simplest soup in the world to make.  Just a few ingredients and not a lot of time to put together = the perfect weeknight meal.  Or make a batch and have it for lunch during the week.  We are a family of 3 so the quantities are based on that. You may want to double the recipe if you have a bigger family.  My husband surprised me by saying he loved this soup - I totally thought it wouldn't be his thing, but instead he couldn't stop raving about what a great flavor it had!  Go figure....   

Chicken & Kale Soup (adapted from Eating Well)


2 boneless & skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
8 cups kale, chopped or sliced thin
20 oz chicken stock
1 cup of a dry white wine
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, sliced thin
2 tbsp garlic, chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Add olive oil to a medium saucepan heat on medium low.  Add onion, garlic and rosemary and cook for about 2 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add the wine, cover and bring to a boil.  Uncover and cook for about 5 minutes or until the wine is almost evaporated.  Add the chicken broth, chicken and kale and simmer for about 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the water, cornstarch and Dijon together until smooth.  Add it to the soup and stir well to combine.  Bring to a boil for 1 minute, then turn off heat.  Season with salt & pepper.  Makes 3 servings.