Chicken, Ham and Kale Soup.

First before I get into the recipe at hand, I wanted to let you know that I have since deleted (it takes 14 days) my Knead to Cook Facebook page because they continually make it difficult for my posts (and other bloggers) to share recipes and photos.  Despite having over 70k fans only 1-2k were ever getting to see a post a time and managing my efforts and time – that wasn’t working.  I will continue to post on my website along with my Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest feeds so fear not.  Happy 2014!

I whipped this soup/stew or stoup (ha ha) up right after Christmas with the leftover ham that we had on hand.  You can always tell when you family tires of leftovers and it’s time to reinvent.  This recipe came to me on the elliptical at the gym.  Braising meat always brings out the best flavors and it is the easiest dinner ever.  I added some nutritionally packed kale and this dinner was out of this world.  I left my chicken pieces (I used cut up breasts) in large pieces but you can choose to either shred or cut smaller for more a soup feel.

Perfect for cold and chilly days like today when the kids are home from school and you need something to warm your bones.  Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

Olive oil
3 large organic chicken breasts (cut into 3 or 4 pieces each)
1 large piece of ham (leftover) – about 3/4 lb
1 medium sized yellow onion, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup of kale, washed and the hard stem removed – chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of white wine
1 cup of chicken broth (I used low sodium)
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Heat your large Dutch oven over medium heat and add some olive oil to sauté the meat.  Once hot, add the chicken and brown on all sides for about 4-5 minutes on each side.  Remove and set aside.  Then add your ham and brown that up evenly.  Remove.  Finally add the onions, potatoes, carrots and garlic.  Sauté until browned and soft.  Then add the wine, broth, chicken and ham.  Add the kale and cover and place in the oven.  Cook for at least 1 hour or up to 4 checking the liquid level — adding more wine or broth to keep the meat covered.  Give a good stir prior to serving and taste.  Add salt and/or pepper if necessary. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.  Enjoy.

— Knead to Cook