Lemon Thyme Chicken Soup
5
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Yield: large simmering pot of soup
Serving Size: whatever fills you up!
Made this this week because I got so sick and it was perfect! I normally find chicken soup pretty blah, but the lemon and thyme make this completely delicious you won’t be able to stop eating it and will probably burn your mouth eating it before you should:)
I cut the recipe in half because there’s just two of us, and we still had a bunch left over. Half the recipe makes about 5-6 meals I’d say!
What to get…
4 large chicken breasts (bone in, with skin)
4 lemons, juiced (zest of 2 of them, avoid pith)
1 lemon quartered, for making stock
5 ribs celery
2 sweet onions (or 1 very large onion)
12 cloves garlic
1 bunch of fresh thyme
2 large carrots
1 8-oz can additional chicken broth (low sodium)
1 32-oz carton chicken stock (low sodium) *will use to make stock
2 cups water
1/2 - 1 cup white wine (dry, not sweet)
1 stick butter
kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, poultry seasoning, dried thyme
What to do…
Make Soup Stock:
In a large pot, place chicken breasts (season first with salt, pepper, paprika and about 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning), 1/2 small onion quartered, 2 celery ribs with leaves cut into chunks, lemon (quartered & squeezed over chicken), 6 garlic cloves (cloves peeled & smashed), 1 tsp dried thyme, and several sprigs of fresh thyme. Add carton of chicken stock & 2 cups water, as needed to just cover chicken in pot. Simmer on low-medium for until chicken breasts are cooked through, but not overcooked! (avoid a rapid boil here), anywhere between 40 min- 1hr, but mine took less.
Now we’ll strain the pot of stock, setting aside cooked chicken breasts in another bowl to cool. Reserve all strained broth to add to soup.
Prep Soup Ingredients:
Chop large onion, celery, & remaining garlic cloves, well.
Slice carrots, thin-medium.
When chicken is cooled, remove skin & shred white breast meat, set aside (watch for bones).
Remove individual, fresh thyme leaves from stems & chop (about 5 Tablespoons, or roughly 10 large sprigs or so)
Zest 2 of the lemons, and juice 4 (strain any seeds), set aside
Combine & Simmer Soup:
Preheat large enameled cast-iron pot, add 1 stick butter and allow to melt, but not brown.
Once melted add chopped garlic, onion, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 tsp coarse black pepper, and 1/2 tsp paprika.
Sauté for a several minutes, until tender.
Now add celery and little of cooking stock as needed.
Next add the chopped fresh thyme, and strained homemade stock (you already set aside) & chicken broth.
Let mixture come to temperature & add your shredded chicken meat. (You’re pot should be simmering on medium-low at this point).
Add zest of 2 the lemons and juice of the reamining 4.
Add the carrot slices. Allow to simmer for about 15 more minutes on medium-low, lid on.
Reduce heat to mild simmer and add 1/2 cup non-sweet white wine & continue to simmer on lowest setting.
Add salt & pepper to adjust to added liquid accordingly.
Split peas with carrots and cayenne pepper! Mmmmmm (Taken with Instagram)
Pilates helped this guy rehab from a surfing injury! Check out this link to read about it http://www.pilatesstyle.com/2012/articles/teaser-on-the-go-riding-the-wave-of-pilates
3rd st promenade aka credit card debtenade (Taken with Instagram)
You are so bright I totally want to exercise in you! (Taken with Instagram)
Fitness tip #2,467,342:
Want abs like an Olympic sprinter? Quit your job and run all day! If that’s a bit drastic, try adding sprints to your workout and make sure no matter what kind of exercise you’re doing to pull your abs in and up! Allowing all movement to come from the core will make you so much stronger in everything you do!
This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me! Is that sad? I think it’s sad. Oh well…it’s like a private Pinterest board. I personally have no desire for everyone to know the random crap I decide I want to buy myself or websites I waste my time looking at. Pinterest doesn’t have a private board, but Springpad does! It’s like a notebook you put URL’s or pictures or products, anything you want! I use it every day since I’m so forgetful and I love it. You can create separate notebooks so if you’re planning something like a decorating project you can keep track of inspirations or specific items you want and where to buy them. So cool! Oh, and it’s a free app:)
Good morning new jump rope! Apologies to my shoulders and excess body fat:) (Taken with Instagram)
Today’s workout:
At the playground:
10 box jumps, 15 pull ups, 15 lunges w twist, 15 inverted pushups, repeat 10 box jumps then 9 of each, 10 box jumps then 6 of each, finish w 10 box jumps. Added 10 burpees w no break, 10 skater lunges each leg, 15 squat jumps…all done on a playground with no extra equipment! Plus Pilates advanced mat in 20 minutes:)
Today’s workout:
On the beach, drew 2 lines 50 paces apart. Sprint to one do 10 burpees, sprint, 10 pushups, sprint, 10 lunges, sprint, 10 tuck jumps, sprint, 30 second full plank, repeat 2 more times. Sprint full speed 4 times between lines. End with 14 squats 1 pushup, 13 squats 2 pushups, etc until you reach 1 squat 14 pushups. Advanced Pilates mat in 20 minutes and power yoga later!
Today’s workout:
At the gym, warmup with sun salutations, planks pulling legs in and twisting side to side on inflatable ball, bicep curls, tricep presses, arms out to side lift, all balancing on one leg, 12 reps.
Then 1 minute renegade rows, 1 minute kettle bell swings, 30 seconds jump ball slams, repeat 2 more times.
Finish w 10 minutes on Jacobs ladder (cardio machine where you climb a ladder). Walk home 3 miles.
Now advanced Pilates mat in 20 minutes!
Today’s workout:
On the beach, draw 2 lines 50 paces apart, warmup by running to one line, side shuffle right, run backwards to other line, side shuffle left, repeat. Then, sprint to line do 10 tuck jumps, sprint, 10 lunges w twist, sprint, 10 squat jumps, sprint, 10 skater balance lunges (5 each leg), sprint, 20 mountain climbers, repeat 2 more times, sprint full speed 10 times to finish.
Saved upper body for kayaking on the lake, advanced Pilates mat in 20 minutes later:)
Today’s workout:
At the playground:
10 box jumps, 15 pull ups, 15 lunges w twist, 15 inverted pushups, repeat 10 box jumps then 9 of each, 10 box jumps then 6 of each, finish w 10 box jumps. Added 10 burpees w no break, 10 skater lunges each leg, 15 squat jumps…all done on a playground with no extra equipment! Plus Pilates advanced mat in 20 minutes:)
Today’s workout:
At the gym, warmup w advanced Pilates mat 20 minutes plus planks pulling legs in and twisting side to side on inflatable ball.
Then, 1 min. Renegade rows, 1 min. Kettle bell swings, 30 sec. Jumping ball slams, 30 sec. High plank ( on palms) to low plank ( on forearms) back and forth. Repeat 2 more times.
Finish w bicep curls, Straight arms to side lifts, tricep presses, all white standing on 1 leg, repeat for another set. Stretch at the end.
Today’s workout:
At the beach, warmup with yoga sun salutations, run in a box forward, side shuffle, backward, side shuffle 10 times, 100 jumping jacks.
Then, 2 lines 50 paces apart, sprint, 10 burpees, sprint, 10 tuck jumps, sprint, 10 falling pushups (on knees, fall forward, do pushup, press up to kneeling), sprint, 10 jump switch lunges, sprint, 16 tire jumps (4 big leaps forward, 4 back, repeat), repeat 3 more times, on last cycle do double sprints, finish with 10 sprints as fast as you can.
Also, advanced pilates mat in 20 minutes!
Cortisol is a stress hormone. When it’s increased, which can happen through mental stress like work, family, school as well as processed foods putting stress on our system, it makes it extremely hard for your body to burn fat and lose weight, even if you’re exercising a lot! So cut out the processed foods, add in more leafy greens and other veggies, and give your body a break!
