| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 5 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1 pound)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Peel of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered with root end attached
- 2 bay leaves
- About 1 quart water
- 2 large or 3 to 4 medium leeks
- 6 slices good quality lean bacon or a 4-ounce hunk pancetta, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 to 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup gemelli pasta or short cut fusilli pasta
- A handful fresh dill or parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the chicken, wine, lemon peel, onion and 1 bay leaf in a small pot. Add about 1 quart of water or enough to cover the top of the chicken meat, bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and gently poach until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Cool the chicken until it is easy to handle, then dice or shred. Strain and reserve about 5 cups of the poaching liquid.
- Trim the leeks and halve lengthwise, then cut into 1-inch half-moons, wash in the sink or large bowl filled with cold water. Dry the leeks on a clean kitchen towel and reserve.
- Heat about 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp at the edges, 3 minutes, drain off fat. Cook’s Note: If there’s more than a couple of tablespoons in the pot, then add 1 bay leaf, carrots, celery, leeks, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook 12 to 15 minutes covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and tomatoes burst. Add the cooked chicken, stock and reserved poaching liquid to the soup, heat through then cool completely and cover, store for make-ahead meal.
- To reheat the soup: Place the soup in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then add the pasta and cook to al dente, stir in the fresh herb of your choice and serve. If the soup is too thick, add a little water.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 681 |
| Total Fat | 31 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 46 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Protein | 43 g |
| Cholesterol | 119 mg |
| Sodium | 752 mg |
Reviews
YUCK! Bland and boring…don’t bother.
I loved the flavor of this soup and it froze nicely.
My family doesnt drink wine either, we only use it for cooking. but cooking with wine is just a flavor thing, you cook the alcohol out of it when you do use it. we keep it around for the recipes we do use, and store it in the fridge.
I don’t know why most food network chefs use wine in their recipes???? Is there a substitute we can use instead of wine. We don’t drink wine so it is useless for us to go out to get a bottle of wine when the recipe calls for such a snall amount. You need to keep in mind that we are cooking for families and not all families feel comfortable useing wine. I’m not sure how it would have tasted because I left the wine out.. any suggestions