From the Farmhouse

For me, nothing is more comforting and soothing than a big bowl of soup. It's the food equivalent of a great, big hug. It warms me, both figuratively and literally.

In the winter, I'll make a pot of soup at least once a week. I still make soup in the summer, but less frequently.

Except this summer.

While we didn't have many rainy days, we did have the cool, mountain summer I have been waiting 9 years for. And those cooler days provided me with a few extra opportunities to make soup for dinner.

I made this soup on what I knew would be a particularly busy day for me. This recipe was ideal because there wasn't a lot of prep work involved, and the slow cooker does all the work. The soup is light, yet comforting. And it was a great opportunity to use the zucchini I had picked from the garden.

So as autumn approaches, add this recipe to your arsenal. It'll warm your soul to walk in the house, the scent of the soup wafting through the air, and filling your belly after a day outside preparing for the winter ahead.

Creamy Farmhouse Chicken and Garden Soup

Recipe slightly modified from Crock-Pot: One-Pot Meals
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package (16 ounces) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetable mix
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
• 1 14-ounce can chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 ounces uncooked egg noodles
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Coat slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place peppers, corn, zucchini in the bottom. Add chicken, broth, garlic, and thyme. Cover; cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove chicken and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Add noodles to slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH 20 minutes or until noodles are heated through.
3. Meanwhile, debone and chop chicken. Return to slow cooker. Stir in half-and-half, peas, basil, butter, salt, and pepper. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on servings, if desired.

Note: To make this a vegetarian dish, simply omit the chicken and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.