It has been a cold and stormy winter here in New England with no end in sight, as we hail our 4^th nor-eastern of this year and it’s only January.

Seems like clockwork that with every Tuesday & Wednesday of the week these wicked disturbances manifest themselves upon our small seaside town and most of the country; trouncing upon us a wintry mix of snow, rain and ice, forcing us to slow down to a crawl.

Because of this iniquitous weather stranding me indoors with very little ingredients to cook with, I’ve created a soup to warm the heart and the soul with what is left in my cupboards… and it’s surprisingly good.

Chicken Florentine Soup

1 Chicken Thigh (skin removed)

1 16 ounce Chicken Stock

1 1/2 Cup of water

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Leek bulb (finely chopped)

6 Celery Stalks (finely chopped)

1 Shallot (finely chopped)

2 Garlic Gloves (minced)

1 Teaspoon Braggs Amino Acid

1 Teaspoon Italian Spice

1 Tomato (Grated)

1 – 10 Ounce bag fresh Spinach

1 Dash Salt

1 Dash Pepper

In a stock pot on medium heat the olive oil. Add minced garlic, chopped shallots and leeks and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add ¼ cup of chicken broth, chopped celery, Italian seasoning, Bragg’s amino acid, grated tomato, salt and pepper, allowing flavors to intermingle for about 10 minutes.

Add chicken and brown for 5 minutes each side.  Add remaining Chicken stock, water and spinach; allow soup to simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.

Remove meat from chicken bone and discard the bone, serve immediately.

Caution: this soup is so HOT that it may help melt a little bit of the snow.