Four-Hour Sick Soup (Aka Chicken Potato Soup)

It's that time of year again and Rich is sick. Every year he gets a bad chest cold sometime between winter and spring, and 3 times since we've been married it's turned into a bad case of pneumonia. Last year's was the worst by far, with him actually being delirious to the point that I wasn't sure if I could get him to Dr. by myself. But I did, and I'm also a Nazi type about illness. We had an amazing Dr. this last time Rich was sick, and he gave me very strict instructions for the next time illness would strike, since Rich is so prone to getting pneumonia. He let out his first cough last night and I went balistic. ;-) I currently have him all doped up and sleeping. Good.

One problem with him when he is sick is that he's so picky. And he will NOT eat chicken noodle soup, or really any other of the popular sickie foods. In an effort to get protein and green leafy veggies down his throat, I came up with a different type of chicken soup. I also made him eat scrambled eggs and spelt toast for breakfast. Lol.

Here's today's soup du jour.

2 skinless chicken breasts, with rib bones
6 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb potatoes, any kind (I prefer yellow or gold, such as honey golds, etc)
1 cup mashed potatoes (leftovers, or store bought)
5 large carrots
32 oz container chicken broth or stock, plus a little extra...1-2 cups.
Fresh rosemary
Fresh Italian parsley
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

I believe that chicken for soup should always be roasted. I don't trust a person who would boil raw chicken for soup. Gross. :-) Spray your crock pot with non-stick cooking spray, then place the chicken breasts inside. Drizzle with about 2 tbsp olive oil, and generously add salt and pepper. Dump the chopped garlic on top. Cook on high for about 3 hours. When the chicken is done, remove the bones and cut it up. There will be a little meat left on the ribs--leave it there. Put the bones back into the crock pot. There will be juices from the chicken left in the crock pot--save them for now! Note: You could also use a deboned rotisserie chicken.

When the chicken is cooked, it's time to start the rest of the soup. Cut up potatoes and carrots into bite-sized pieces. As long as you do not use traditional "white" baking potatoes, you can leave the skin on. Leave the carrot skin on, too. You won't be able to tell the difference. Add the carrots and potatoes to your favorite soup pot, and *just* cover them with chicken broth. Add a generous amount of salt and fresh ground pepper. Toss in a decent-sized sprig of fresh rosemary. Don't rip it all apart, either. You'll be taking it out soon enough.

Bring this to a boil, reduce heat the medium and let it cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are tender. I am going to say 8-10 minutes.

Next toss in some fresh parsley leaves. Remove the icky stems. Only add the leaves.

Next add the chicken.

Now, pour the juices from the crock pot into the soup. Strain it, as shown, to prevent bones or fat from getting in. 

Now, it's time to thicken the soup with the mashed potatoes. Heat about 1 to 1-1/2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes, and whisk in 16 oz of chicken broth. Add to the soup along with any remaining broth until the desired consistency is achieved and add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.... and the soup is finished.