As we enter into month eleven of the lockdown, with new “we really mean it this time” lockdown measures, it is important to find things to enjoy in life. One thing I really like is soup. Another thing I like is efficient use of leftovers. This week was a win for me on both fronts.
On Sunday, feeling pretty miserable with the state of the world, I went to the corner butcher shop and got a small chicken then picked up a couple of bulbs of fennel and sweet potatoes at the vegetable store. I roasted the chicken with a simple rub of sage, thyme, and oregeno, stuffed with a couple of onions and some garlic. In a separate pan, I roasted the fennel and sweet potatoes, setting aside all the extra fennel parts in the fridge. It was a simple and heartwarming meal.
On Monday, Jim stir-fried leftover chicken with some peppers and zucchini (about to turn in our vegetable drawer) while I put the chicken carcass, leftover fennel bits, and the roasted onion and garlic on the stove to make some stock.
The next day, I added the stock to a mirepoix (using up some celery and carrots, also on their last legs) and blended it all with the remaining roasted sweet potato and fennel from Sunday’s meal. A little herbes de provence and that was it, the result was a beautiful creamy, delicately flavoured winter soup.
It might not be solving any the world’s ailments, but it was satisfying.
