Thanksgiving is past, but the turkey remains! This recipe can help use some of that giant bird.

Welcome back to Southern Comfort Food, my weekly post with a recipe that will taste like home and warm your soul.

This week’s is, to me, the epitome of southern comfort food–my mother’s chicken vegetable soup. Always good on a cold autumn or winter’s day, although I make it regularly in the summer and spring as well. And it never lingers in the fridge. My family eats it quickly.  My eldest daughter has been known to have it for breakfast!

It can also be made with turkey, which I did this morning. Unfortunately, my husband was the first to get home and put it away before I could take a picture of it for this post. So I found one that looks almost like mine, although I cook mine in the crock pot.

Meemaw’s Chicken Vegetable Soup

2  16 oz cans mixed vegetables, drained (you can also use fresh or frozen for all the vegetables)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can lima beans, drained

1 can corn

1 can tomato sauce

1 large onion sliced

3 bouillon cubes

3 chicken breasts/thighs or any leftover chicken or turkey (about a pound makes it nice and thick)

salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken in enough water to cover for about 20 minutes. This recipe works very well when you have a whole chicken you can boil and get the goodness out of the bones. Remove meat from the liquid and let cool. Pour liquid into the crock pot and add the bouillon cubes. (If you like your soup very soupy, you can add a can of chicken broth.)

When cool enough to handle, pull meat from chicken bones or chop breasts/thighs and put in pot. Add all the vegetables, tomato sauce, and onion. Salt and pepper to taste. Because of the tomato sauce, this soup comes out much more orange than most vegetable soups.

Cook on high for about 2 hours, then on low for about 4 more hours, stirring every once in a while. Ladle into bowls and enjoy! I got home too late tonight to eat my soup, but I’m taking it for lunch tomorrow!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Come back next week for another recipe full of southern comfort. 🙂