15 Minute Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
2 Tbs olive oil
3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 medium carrots
2 baby leeks, or one regular leek, white and pale green parts
1 rib celery
splash of white wine (optional)
1 can garbanzo beans
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
2-4 cups chicken stock
(I used water and 2 Tbs "Better Than Bouillon" stock base)
Salt to taste if desired

Tools:
Medium saucepan
knife
cutting board
Wooden spoon

Method:
-Cut up chicken into 1/2 strips, then crosswise into cubes, brown in olive oil in medium saucepan on medium-high heat.
-As soon as the chicken is in the pan, cut the carrots, celery and leeks into strips then into approximately the same size cubes as the chicken. Add to pan. Stir.
-A crust of carmelized chicken and veggies will form on the bottom of the pan. This is good. Stir again. Turn down heat if it seems to be burning.
-When the chicken is cooked through and a little brown, add wine, if desired. Add stock or water+bouillon. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen bits.
-Add spices
-Drain garbanzo beans and add to soup.
-Cook until carrots can be easily pierced with a fork, about 5-7 minutes
-Add salt/bouillon if needed

Cut up potatoes or frozen peas could also stretch out this soup. As long as the vegetables are cut small, it will cook quickly. I wish I'd taken a picture of this soup today-- the bright colors were very pretty-- but we ate it up as quickly as I'd made it, with crusty sourdough toast. Very warming on a cold gray day. For us, this was two generous servings, but it could serve four normal people with grilled cheese sandwiches or as a first course.