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I make this soup when one of my family members are sick, or for a light but comforting dinner.

Use leftover chicken with carcass intact, or do what I do….purchase a whole roasted chicken from the market. The rind from the Parmesan cheese cooks into the soup, adding a slightly sharp nutty flavor, and your tongue will tingle over the zing from the lemon.

Did you all have a Happy New Year? I’m actually overjoyed to be starting a New Year. 2013 was so busy and went by way too fast. I’ve making some changes personally for myself and my family, which I will be sharing in this blog throughout the year, and plan on enjoying 2014 by stopping and smelling the roses…if you know what I mean.

I wish you all a Happy, Healthy, and Peaceful 2014!

Italian Minestrone

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review

Author: Adoring Kitchen
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours
Total Time: 1 hours 20 minutes
Yield: 6
Category: Lunch or Dinner

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Description

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 roast chicken (whole carcass)
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 carrots cut
• 2 celery stalks, cut
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and left whole
• 12 cups organic chicken broth
• 1 Parmesan cheese rind (cut only the rind off from Parmesan cheese)
• 1-cup mini farfalle, tubetti, elbow, or other small pasta
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 lemon

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Instructions

Break the roast chicken carcass into pieces and place in a large pot. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, chicken broth, and Parmesan cheese rind. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover.
Simmer gently for about 1 hour. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool completely, and then strain the liquid through a strainer into another clean large pot.
Discard the carcass, rind, and vegetables. (Chicken meat can be removed from carcass and set aside.)
Bring the stock in the pot to a boil, and add the pasta. Simmer, stirring frequently, until only just al dente: 7 – 8 minutes, or according to the instructions on the packet.
At this time, you can add the chicken if preferred.
Add salt to taste and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.