Appearances Can Be Deceiving

I'm sure that if anyone was to peer into the pot of almost black, inky liquid that made up the broth for this recent batch of soup, the idea of it as a chicken-and-rice preparation wouldn't ever cross their mind. But that was exactly what this warming, wholesome melange was, in essence. Carrots, onions, potatoes and rice were all in the mix with a whack of celery and shredded chicken. The only difference was that those four aforementioned ingredients were rather... well, purple. And given their hue, and the tendency of most veggies of that colour family to bleed rather heavily, they combined to turn the otherwise "normal" coloured broth the colour of India ink.

Not that it really mattered, in the long run - the soup tasted just like any other homemade chicken and rice soup that's packed with veggies of all persuasions. What I particularly liked about my soup was that anything that was even remotely pale - from the parsnips to the chicken breast - turned violet! Of course, being the garlic hog that I am, the 6 minced cloves didn't hurt... and my mom was quite fond of the zucchini, bell pepper and mushrooms! Ironically, my mom claims to hate parsnips too, but I didn't tell her of their addition to the saute and she ate them all without comment! I'd be willing to bet that a soup like this is just "off the wall" enough that kids would eat it without complaint (especially if you were to leave out the mushrooms, which seem to be the bones of contention with most children) - perfect for getting a serving or two into their recommended 5-a-day!

Purple (Poultry) Eater Soup

Serves 10

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small white onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, diced
5 large (purple, if you're keeping with the colour theme) carrots, sliced into coins
1 parsnip, diced
3 mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 zucchini, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
6 cloves minced garlic
2 cups triple-concentrated, homemade chicken stock (or 2 cups canned / boxed stock + 3 sachets dry bouillon)
8 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp Herbamare Aromatic Sea Salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 lb purple potatoes, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup purple rice
3 cups cooked, shredded skinless chicken breast

1. Heat the oil in a large pot until it begins to shimmer.
2. Add onions and cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes.
3. Add celery, carrots and parsnip and cook a further 3-4 minutes.
4. Stir in mushrooms, zucchini and red pepper, cook another 3-4 minutes.
5. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant - about 1 minute.
6. Pour in chicken stock and water, then add bay leaf, thyme, Herbamare, pepper, potatoes and rice.
7. Cook 45 - 50 minutes, until rice and potatoes are tender.
8. Remove bay leaf, stir in chicken and serve

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 246.1

Total Fat: 6.7 g

Cholesterol: 35.8 mg

Sodium: 271.7 mg

Total Carbs: 28.6 g

Dietary Fiber: 3.6 g

Protein: 18.1 g