Everything Soup
Greetings food adventurers! Today we head to Baldur’s Gate for Everything Soup. This delicious chicken and vegetable soup is named for the halfling tradition of frantically raiding the pantry and garden for something tasty to make when unexpected guests arrive. What’s in it? Everything that’s in season! Everything Soup is also a common Camp Supply, found all over the region and sold by traders. It’s a little different every time depending on what’s available, so use the below recipe as a general guide.
We are heading to a southern suburb of Baldur’s Gate today rather than into the main city. This soup is being prepared for us at our camp near the town of Rivington. A young girl named Yenna has joined the camp and volunteered to cook in exchange for the company and a safe place to stay. She’s a great cook, and knows all about foraging herbs and local veggies. Her cat Grub tagged along and is now a happy camp member too, so we get plenty of cat purrs and snuggles while waiting. Grub is friendly with the other two camp animals (Scratch the white dog and our unnamed owlbear cub), who are doing the afternoon nap thing while we visit.
It is a beautiful mid-afternoon for our late lunch. There is a light breeze in the trees above, mostly sunny but not too warm. Off in the distance are the sounds of the road, full of travelers and traders on their way to and from the city. We hear tiny bits of circus music on the wind. It’s festival season, and the Circus of the Last Days is setting up at the edge of the town. (We can go visit with Popper later for some Treetos!) We enjoy large bowls of soup around the campfire pit then spread out among the various tents to relax with books or crafts for the rest of the afternoon.
Recipe adapted from my awesome mom-in-law’s chicken primavera stew and inspired by Baldur’s Gate 3.
Everything Soup
Special Equipment
- Dutch oven pot
- Meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp oil (whatever kind you like)
- 1 medium white or yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 28 oz can of diced tomatoes do not drain. (OR 3 cups fresh diced tomatoes, cores removed)
- 1 ½ lb. chicken thighs or breasts diced to about 1″ cubes (boneless/skinless)
- 4 cups diced zucchini and/or yellow squash remove seeds if large
- 2 cups fresh green beans ends trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces (OR 15 oz can of green beans, drained)
- 4 to 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil minced (OR 1 tsp dried basil)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp table salt
- Fresh grated parmesan for serving (optional)
- Fresh bread or garlic bread for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the cooking oil to medium.
- Add onions and cook about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic, stir, and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes and chicken. Bring to a simmer at medium-high. Simmer for 8 minutes.
- Stir in the green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and dried basil (if using fresh herbs, do not add them yet).
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through with no pink remaining in center. This timing will vary depending on your chicken sizes. Start checking the temp in the center of the larger pieces after about 15 minutes and go from there. Internal chicken temp should be at least 175 for the best flavor. (above 190 may start to get tough or dry)
- If using fresh herbs, stir them in just before serving.
