Recipe: Chicken and Vegetable Soup

This recipe was in my e-mail box this morning. Sounds good after a Saturday of decadence at our annual Christmas Cookie Exchange where 20 pounds of ham and I'm not sure how many pounds of Swedish Meatballs literally disappeared! Lots of yummy cookies and a pumpkin dump cake to die for. I'll be posting them soon. Meanwhile, a soup to conteract sugar overload...although there's that spinach with butter sauce as an ingredient....

Chicken and Veggie Soup
Ingredients:
64 oz. chicken stock (broth)
2 cups water (good quality)
2 1/2 - 3 lb. fryer chicken (cooked, skinned & meat removed)
1 onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
2 tbsp. garlic, diced fine
28 oz. can of whole tomatoes (hand crushed, incl. juices)
1 pkg. spinach in butter sauce (from freezer section, thawed)
1 tbsp. salted butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt
pepper
1 bay leaf
Instructions:
In a large pot over medium temperature, combine chicken stock, water, tomatoes, spinach, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper then stir well.

Bring to a slow simmer (uncovered).

In a frying pan over medium high heat, melt olive oil and butter together then add onion, garlic and celery with a few pinches of salt and pepper.

Saut for 3-4 minutes until veggies are softened.

Add to soup mix and simmer together for 30 minutes.

Add shredded chicken for 5 minutes then serve immediately with crackers or crusty bread.

Cooks Note:

If you like rice or noodles in your soup, add two more cups of water and 1 cup of uncooked rice or 1/2 package of egg noodles during step #1.