Ingredients
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns of the pan
1 medium zucchini
1 small to medium red bell pepper, seeded
1 medium yellow skinned onion, peeled and halved
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence, available on spice aisle or, 1 teaspoon each dried sage, rosemary and thyme
1 1/2 pounds small red skinned potatoes
1 cup dry white wine
1 can diced tomatoes (14 ounces) or coarsely ground tomatoes
1 quart plus 1 cup chicken stock, available in quart and 1 cup paper box containers on the soup aisle
1 pound chicken tenders, diced
1 small jar black olive tapenade, 4 ounces, found with Italian foods or on condiment aisle
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Crusty bread, to pass at table
Directions
One medium soup pot pre-heated over medium high heat. While soup pot heats, chop carrots into 1/4-inch dice, then add garlic, and stir to coat in EVOO. Chop and drop in the zucchini, pepper and onion next, 1/2 inch dice. Season all the veggies with salt and pepper and herbes de Provence. Cook the veggies together 5 minutes. While they cook, cut potatoes into thin wedges. Add wine to vegetables and reduce a minute or so. Add the tomatoes, cut potatoes and stock to the pot, cover the pot and raise heat to high. Bring the stoup to a boil, then add cut chicken and simmer 8-10 minutes until potatoes are just tender and chicken is cooked through. Serve stoup in shallow bowls and stir in a rounded spoonful of black olive tapenade at the table. Top soup with chopped parsley and pass crusty bread at the table for dipping and mopping.
