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2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds chicken, boned, skinned, all visible fat removed, diced (save bones and carcass)
Jeffery’s Secret Spice Blend
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4 bay leaves
2 cups assorted chopped fresh vegetables (such as beans, zucchini, yellow squast, or cabbage)
1 1/2 cups torn spinach leaves, cleaned and stemmed
Pinch of crushed red pepper, or to taste
3 quarts chicken stock
2 cups cooked fine or broad noodles
Chopped chives for garnish
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil. season chicken with Spice blend. When oil is hot, add chicken, bones and carcass: sauté about 5 minutes, or until meat and bones are brown. Add onions, celery, carrots, green onions, garlic, parsley, basil. and bay leaves, seasoned with Spice Blend. Sauté vegetables 5 minutes Add chopped vegetables spinach, and crushed red pepper and sauté 1 minute. Add stock and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes. Add noodles, bring back to a boil, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and discard carcass and loose bones. Season with Spice Blend and pepper, if needed. Ladle soup into a bowl and garnish with chopped chives. Serves 6-8
All chefs, it seems, have a secret spice blend. Here is mine. Use it as a salt substitute as it is, or you can vary the amounts and choice of spices to create your own. A nutritional extra of this recipe is that it adds no additional calories, fats or sodium.
2 tablespoons chili powder
2teaspoons ground fennel seed
2 teaspoons ground mustard seed
1-teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-teaspoon cinnamon
1-teaspoon dried mint
1-teaspoon dill weed
1-tablespoon black pepper
1-tablespoon onion powder
1-tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1-teaspoon ground cumin
Combine all ingredients: keep in closed container.
