Leeky Chicken Soup

***With all the snow and flurries that have been floating around outside lately, a delicious and hearty chicken soup is the perfect remedy to warm you up from your head to your feet!  Rachael Ray's recipe for Leeky Chicken Soup does the trick and takes regular ole' chicken soup up a notch!  I recently had some beautiful leeks in the fridge, so this dinner sounded perfect on a cold winter evening.  It's easy to throw together and will feed about 4 people.

I paired the soup with an easy grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough bread...Yummy!  You'll notice in my photos that I used whole wheat rotini pasta instead of egg fettuccine or tagliatelle.  It just came down to what I had in the pantry.  The rotini tasted fantastic!  That's really the only major change or substitution that I used. 

WATCH THE VIDEO:

If you'd like to see Rachael Ray in action, you can click HERE to see her making this Leeky Chicken Soup in real time!!  She gives lots of great advice and pointers along the way.  Just click the link above, and you'll see the video for this dish towards the bottom of the page.

Bon Appetit!***

Leeky Chicken Soup
Source:  Look + Cook cookbook by Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, halved
• 1 large bay leaf, fresh or dried
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 4 large leeks, trimmed, washed and dried
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups chicken stock (32 ounces)
• 2 cups egg pasta, such as broken egg fettuccine or tagliatelle
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Crusty baguette, sliced
• Soft cheese, such as goat cheese, robiola, Camembert or Boursin

Preparation:

Cook's Note: To clean leeks, chop them first and then wash them. Trim the tough tops and root ends, halve them lengthwise, then slice them 1⁄2-inch thick. Fill a large bowl or sink with water, add the leeks and separate the slices to let the grit fall away. Remove the leeks with a skimmer and dry in a salad spinner or on a clean kitchen towel.

Place the chicken and bay leaf in a small pan and add water to almost cover. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and poach the chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the EVOO in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic, season with salt and pepper, then stir, cover and cook for 7-8 minutes. Add the wine and cook out for 1 minute, then add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and dice, then stir into the stock. Strain the poaching liquid and add it to the soup. Add the egg pasta, thyme and lemon zest. Cook at a low boil until the pasta is tender. Stir in the parsley and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread spread with soft cheese.