Pesto Chicken Soup

The way I see it I have two choices: (1) change the title of this blog to Grousing + Praying, or (2) start posting more about cooking. I've heard the people and I'm not going to ignore the groundswell of public opinion; no longer can I turn a deaf ear to the outcry of the masses. Okay, I'm grossly exaggerating. The masses are approximately two readers, give or take one or two. But trust me, I really appreciate both of them. One of them is a student in the far outreaches of Russia who is trying to learn basic English. That alone is a frightening thought. The other is a person in solitary confinement in a prison for the criminally insane. No offense, criminally insane person--I totally believe that you were railroaded by the system and that your mother really was put into the wood chipper by Martians. It has been known to happen.

So in an effort to salvage the title of this blog, I am actually posting a recipe. Tada. I found the recipe on Pinterest and tested it, exactly as written. It really is simple and it really is delicious and it really works well with just five ingredients. Perfect for a cold winter Sunday evening.

All the credit goes to Gimme Some Oven for both the recipe and the photo. Thanks, Gimme, it's a keeper.

5-Ingredient Pesto Chicken Soup

4 cups good-quality chicken stock (I used Penzey's chicken soup base)

3 handfuls (about 3 cups) fresh spinach

2 cups cooked chicken (I poached chicken breasts in the stock, cooled slightly, chopped, then added to pot with the other ingredients) 

2 (14 ounce) cans Great Northern or cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup pesto (I used the refrigerated pesto from Trader Joe's)

Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

 

Stir together chicken stock, spinach, chicken, and beans in a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium, stir in the pesto, and let the soup continue to simmer for 2 minutes.

Serve warm, topped with Parmesan cheese.