Chicken Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
450 g chicken breast meat
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 carrots, peeled, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
3 cloves garlic
1 can (400 g) finely chopped tomatoes
1 small zucchini, chopped
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot. Season the chicken with a large pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then add it to the pot.
2. Cook the chicken on one side for 12 minutes until golden brown. Then flip it over and cook for another 8-12 minutes (until browned). If you are worried that the chicken pieces will burn while cooking, you can add a splash of stock and scrape the pieces off the bottom of the pan.
3. Remove the chicken, transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Add the carrots, celery, onion and potatoes to the pot. Stir to scrape up the pieces from the bottom of the pot. If necessary, you can add a splash of stock (this will help to scrape the pot). Add the bay leaf, dried thyme, oregano and red pepper flakes. Season with a large pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir and leave to cook undisturbed for about 15 minutes. Add the garlic. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Add the canned tomatoes, zucchini and chicken stock and cook for about 15-20 minutes (until the potatoes are tender). While the potatoes are tender, shred the chicken and add to the pot.
6. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Yield: 6 servings
Recipe: themediterraneandish.com