"Momma Wants" Soup

I wrote this recipe title originally as a kind of joke: a reference to the ingredients my mom asked me to put into the stock I made from yesterday's Double-Lemon Roast Chicken. But as I was beginning to put together the writeup for this vitamin and mineral-packed one-pot meal, our lives took a turn of events that really solidified the need for something comforting and familiar. My maternal grandfather hadn't been feeling himself the past week or so, not sleeping much at night or eating during the day. For him to even admit that change in his usual routine is striking enough in itself - but when my grandma called this afternoon to say he was on morphine in the hospital it was like a ton of bricks. To make it worse, they still don't know what's going on, and my mom was out in Guelph helping out my sister with her new place - unable to get to the hospital stat to be with my gran.

I talked to my mom mid-commute, when she was snarled in gridlock on the highway, and she declared she wanted nothing for dinner. I wheedled her a bit and got her to agree to one thing - this soup.

I'm sure that under different circumstances I'd have some witty banter about my mom's picky to unpicky behaviour, but right now, all I can think of is that soup, and how much I hope it brings even a tiny taste of comfort to my mom tonight.

"Momma Wants" Soup

Makes 8 hearty bowls

1 tbsp olive oil

1 rib fennel, chopped

5 large carrots, sliced

4 large ribs celery, sliced

1 medium-large zucchini, sliced

18 button mushrooms, halved if desired

1/4 cup white wine (I used Ogio Pinot Grigio IGT)

9 cups homemade (or low sodium) chicken stock

3 tbsp dehydrated onion flakes

1 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 cup wild rice

1 skinless, boneless chicken thigh, cooked and chopped

3/4 cup cannellini beans

1/4 cup minced Egyptian onion greens (or green onion)

1. In a large, deep pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the fennel, carrots, celery, zucchini and mushrooms and cook until the vegetables have begun to soften and the mushrooms have begun to brown.
3. Raise the heat to high and pour in the wine, stirring vigorously, then pour in the stock.
4. Add onion flakes, rosemary, pepper, salt and wild rice.
5. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook (uncovered) 20 minutes.
6. Stir in the cooked chicken, beans and green onion and cook a further 35 minutes.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 128.5

Total Fat: 2.5 g
Cholesterol: 7.2 mg
Sodium: 772.5 mg
Total Carbs: 17.9 g

Dietary Fiber: 4.1 g

Protein: 8.9 g