"You Better Come On In My Kitchen....."

This is the best soup I have ever “thrown together.”  It was inspired by Cassoulet.  I told Ken that, & later, he referred to it as Carcass Soup.  Because I was throwing it together, the measurements are approximate. I didn't want to forget what I had done, so I made notes. Hope you enjoy this soup that we have christened:

French Carcass Soup

5 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in cubes

About 10 oz. bacon, cut into 1” pieces before cooking

2 small onions, chopped

2 jalapeños - seeds removed & chopped

1 yellow pepper chopped

3 carrots, sliced

About 8 oz. mushrooms, quartered

2 cans great northern beans, drained

2 bulbs roasted garlic (cut top of garlic bulb off, cover with olive oil, salt

About 1 cup total of the following fresh herbs:  rosemary & thyme (soft leaves removed from hard stems and stems discarded), italian parsley leaves, chopped

2.5 cups chicken broth + about 1.5 cups water (or you could just use all chicken broth)

Start by putting the garlic in to roast.  Cut top of garlic bulb off, cover with olive oil, (sea) salt & pepper.  Wrap in foil leaving only a little room for steam to escape.  Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Then uncover the top of the bulb and bake an additional 15 minutes.  After the garlic has cooled a little, you can either scoop the softened cloves out with a knife or squeeze them out.  Before adding this to the soup, I mashed the cloves a bit more to make smaller pieces.

Cook chicken and bacon in pot together until both are browned.

Add onions, jalapeños, yellow pepper and carrots and cook until softened.

Add herbs, chicken broth, water, beans, and mushrooms.

Season to taste with sea salt and lots of pepper.

Cook with lid on until mushrooms are done (or until the roasted garlic is done, if you are waiting on that!)

Add the roasted, mashed garlic, and stir in.

Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.