Mediterranean Chicken Soup -- Keeping the Kitchen Light On

Super Bowl Sunday. Earl watched the game. I made wings — honey garlic, because Earl likes them sweet and sticky, and because I wanted the house to smell like something alive and good. Denise and Robert came over. Kayla came. We sat in the living room and watched football, which I don't understand and don't pretend to, but I sat there because Earl was sitting there and that's where I wanted to be.

He fell asleep during the third quarter. He does that now — falls asleep in the middle of things, mid-sentence sometimes, his body just deciding it's had enough for the moment. I covered him with the afghan Mama made thirty years ago, the one with the green and gold stripes that has been on every piece of furniture in this house and has absorbed every temperature of every room. Denise looked at me. I looked at her. We didn't speak.

Valentine's Day is next week. I have been thinking about it — more than usual. Forty-three Valentine's Days with Earl Henderson. Forty-three pink carnations. Forty-three dinners of fried catfish and lemon meringue pie. The first year, we were newlyweds in a rental apartment near Forsyth Park, and Earl brought me one carnation because that's what he could afford. The next year, he brought three. The year after, a dozen. By the time we moved to Thunderbolt, it was always a full bouquet, always pink, always from Doris on Habersham. The flowers changed in size. The love didn't.

I went to Publix this week and bought everything for Valentine's dinner. Catfish. Lemons. Butter. Meringue ingredients. I stood in the baking aisle holding a bag of powdered sugar and I prayed — right there in Publix, between the flour and the vanilla extract — I prayed that this Valentine's Day would be like every other Valentine's Day. Ordinary. Beautiful. Mine and his.

Made a pot of soup tonight. Just soup. Nothing special. Chicken stock, vegetables, noodles. The simplest thing I know how to make. Sometimes you cook elaborate meals to celebrate. Sometimes you cook simple ones to survive. This was a survival soup, baby. This was the kind of cooking that keeps the kitchen light on.

Now go on and feed somebody.

That pot of soup I mentioned — the one I made just to survive the night — this is the one. Mediterranean Chicken Soup has everything I needed: a good broth, something green, something hearty, and enough garlic to make the kitchen smell like somebody cares. When Earl is resting and the house gets too quiet, I cook. Not to impress anybody. Just to keep my hands busy and the light on in here.

Mediterranean Chicken Soup

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 medium carrots, sliced into rounds
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup small pasta (orzo or ditalini)
• 2 cups baby spinach
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then sear 3–4 minutes per side until lightly golden. Remove and set aside — it does not need to be fully cooked through at this stage.
2. Build the base. In the same pot, add onion and celery. Cook over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
3. Add vegetables and broth. Stir in carrots, diced tomatoes with their juices, chickpeas, chicken broth, oregano, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil.
4. Return the chicken. Nestle the seared chicken back into the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tender.
5. Shred and add pasta. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Return shredded chicken to the pot. Add pasta and cook uncovered for 8–10 minutes until pasta is tender.
6. Finish with greens and lemon. Stir in spinach and lemon juice. Cook 1–2 minutes until spinach is wilted. Remove bay leaf, taste, and adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 295 | Protein: 27g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 29g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 610mg