Pantry Chicken Soup

It was one of those nights - ate too much takeout over the weekend, didn't get the chance to go grocery shopping, and starving due to an 11-mile run. The solution was this chicken soup with pasta and vegetables - made with whatever the heck we had around; hence, "pantry" chicken soup. Admittedly, it did require a quick drive over to a little grocery store for a couple veggies.

Of course, when I got home I realized the onion I thought I had was rotten, so I had to substitute a little onion powder and garlic. The beauty of a "pantry" soup is that you can really put whatever the heck you want in it. The only constants, I suppose, would be the chicken and broth. Unless you wanted it to be a veggie soup. Also, you could use rice instead of pasta, or just omit them both all together.

As prepared (hearty and satisfying):

Olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

8-10 baby carrots, sliced

1 small tomato, chopped

5 chicken drumsticks

Onion powder

Dill

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2-3 small red potatoes, chopped

1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped

1/3 lb pasta

In a large pot, drizzle olive oil, then add garlic, carrots, and tomato and saute over medium-high heat until they begin to soften. Add your drumsticks to the pot so that they all are touching the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with dill and onion powder to taste. Brown on all sides.

Add chicken broth and potatoes, then bring to a boil. Add asparagus. Turn down heat, but boil for a few minutes longer. Turn down heat to simmer until chicken is cooked and potatoes have softened to your liking. Return to a boil and add pasta and cook until al dente. Ready to eat!