I love Sunday. It is definitely my favorite day of the week. I try to keep Sunday sacred by leaving it completely open and most of the time I strive to never get into a car or even leave the house (except for my morning walk or maybe to walk to the market).
Our Sundays shift and change with the seasons but Sundays in the winter and autumn are definitely my favorite. There’s always a late, sit down breakfast. There’s always a fire. And there’s always a chicken in the oven by late afternoon.
There is something so slow and intentional about making a meal on Sunday. And there is something so special about ending the week with your favorite people eating that meal.
I use this recipe every time but use different roots from week to week and usually serve it up with garlicky sauteed greens such as kale, collards, swiss chard or mustard greens.
After the chicken has been carved and picked over, the bones and carcass are thrown into a pot and covered with water. I simmer the broth over night for 12 or more hours and wake to find a golden elixir!
Monday night is chicken soup night. I make several variations but always fall back on a few simple tricks. This week I made a curried vegetable, chicken soup. There is always a salad and if time allows, homemade biscuits or corn bread with a hunk of cheese.
If there are left overs, lunches on Tuesday consist of thermoses of hot soup. Although I admit to eating it for breakfast too.
Curried Chicken Soup
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 onion chopped
3 stalks of celery chopped
4 carrots sliced
2 tablespoons curry powder (I am a curry-aholic. Feel free to half this)
1-16 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes
6-8 cups of homemade chicken broth
1 cup frozen riced cauliflower (my new favorite TJs find!)
1 bunch fresh spinach or kale, leaves finely chopped
3 cups of cubed cooked chicken
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Heat butter in bottom of soup pot. Sautee garlic and onion. Once translucent, add celery and then carrots. Add 1/2 the curry powder and a pinch of salt. Once the veggies are soft, add the tomatoes and then broth. Let simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Add cauliflower, greens and chicken and rest of curry powder. Simmer for 30 more minutes. Turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper.
This soups improves with age.
What a restful, replenishing Sunday routine. I make a variation of your roasted chicken, but want to try your recipe. And I definitely want to try the curried chicken soup. Yum. As always, your photographs are beautiful. Thanks for a respite in my day.
Good grief, thank you for this, all this. I was desperately in need of inspiration for simple but delicious cooking.
The chicken dinner looks beautiful and the curry chicken soup sounds fantastic. I’m going to use curry powder the next time I make my own. thanks.