Tomato Chicken Vegetable Soup: Before it gets too warm

The Bay Area has suddenly been blessed with some beautifully gorgeous weather - the one that makes it hard to ever leave this area. Suddenly it's all blue skies, very little breeze, warm sun and just the gorgeous smell of spring in the air. This coincides with Daughters trying to put on tank tops and shorts (not warm enough for THAT) and forgoing socks for sandals. But somehow the warmth of the sun brings cheerier smiles all around and people in general, just seem happier. I know that now that I have my dose of vitamin D I feel much more vibrant, alive and willing to enjoy the life in front of me. Somehow when things are grey and gloomy in the weather, it colors my mood as well.

I made the soup on a day when things were grey and gloomy, so I could brighten my mood and warm my stomach. It was also a convenient way to use up leftover Costco rotisserie chicken, which I buy practically every other week. It was one of those soups that EVERYONE in the family can eat and that also had great appeal. Son happens to love cooked carrots and celery so this turned out to be one of his favorites.

Unlike Not Your Momma's Chicken Soup, this soup only has one boiling and cooking step, which means it is faster and easier. I happened to have a lot of chicken meat on my rotisserie chicken this time, so I turned a good chunk of the meat into the Apricot Curried Chicken Salad, and left the bones and bits of meat for this one. Before it gets TOO warm and you're no longer thinking about warming soups, make this one.

Tomato Chicken Vegetable Soup
Serves 6-8

3 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced

1 onion diced
4 cloves of garlic, smashed with the back of a knife
1 leftover Costco rotisserie chicken, a lot of the meat removed
2 quarts of chicken stock
1 14.5 oz can of tomatoes (I used diced, which I ended up pureeing. If you like a chunkier soup you can keep them whole, but my kids don't like whole cooked tomatoes.)
1 cup of fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Salt and pepper

In a large pot over, add two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic cloves, and cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, leftover rotisserie chicken and tomato puree. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and keep simmering for 20 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside to cool a bit. Remove soup from heat. When chicken is cool enough to touch, remove remaining meat from bones and add to soup. Heat soup up again (if necessary) and add basil leaves. Add salt and pepper if needed. Serve.

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