An overwhelming guilt struck my heart a couple years ago. While I knew it was important, I had been less than diligent when it came to recycling. I know – worse things have happened. Humans are capable of pretty terrible things, but all of a sudden the common practice of throwing a plastic water bottle away felt like the equivalent of committing some heinous crime.
I don’t know where the out-of-the-blue shame came from, but I couldn’t live knowing I let another one of my plastic water bottles spend almost an eternity in a dump. We don’t have recycling offered where we live, so I bought bins to store our plastics, glass, and cans with the intention of taking them to the recycling center.
Fast forward a couple months to a garage packed with plastic salad containers, wine bottles, and cans that we practically had to use our cars as trash compactors every time we needed to park. Finding the time to get to the recycle center when it was open was proving to be difficult and I had found myself back to tossing recyclables in the garbage out of convenience. Guys, I failed.
I had gotten overwhelmed trying to change and I stopped. It was easier to give up than keep going but I wasn’t ready to admit defeat. I found a different recycle center with better hours and began slowly purging the garage of my collection.
Changing habits is hard. Especially when change involves more effort on our own part. But I think we all want to be better. Better for the planet, better for other people, and better for ourselves.
I’m slowly learning that baby steps are the way to go. I know I made the right choice to start recycling and I just needed a little more strategic planning in order to make it work. And now I find myself slowly overhauling my lifestyle in order to live a greener, cleaner life. I’ll be sharing more about how this looks over the next couple weeks, along with the usual recipes.
Today I’ve got a rich and hearty dairy-free spring chicken pot pie I have a feeling you’re gonna love. The soup gets it’s thick, creamy texture from blended potatoes which makes this meal Whole30 compliant, sans the bread. If you’re dairy free, this is a great way to get your creamy soup fix.
Michigan asparagus is just starting to crop up here and we’ve been eating it non-stop. It’s a beautiful addition to this soup.
Give this a try and give me a shout in the comments below! I’d love to hear the ways you’re going greener or living a more clean life!
Spring Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- 2 Medium Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 Lb Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 4 Cups Chicken Stock
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
- 1 Medium White Onion
- 2 Medium Carrots
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 1/2 Tsp Salt, plus more, to taste
- 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
- 8 Asparagus Stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Place the chicken in a single layer of a pot or pan and cover with an inch of water. Add the salt and 1 tablespoon oregano. Turn the heat to high and bring the water to a boil then turn the heat to medium low. Cover the pan and allow the chicken to simmer until the chicken is opaque and the internal temperature reaches 165. This took about 15 minutes for me, but you may need to check on your chicken after 10 minutes. Place the chicken on a plate and allow to cool before shredding with a fork.
Add the half of the potatoes to a large pot and cover with 2 cups of the chicken stock. Turn the heat to high and boil the potatoes until fork tender. Use an immersion blender to blend the potatoes or place the contents of the pot in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a separate container and set aside.
Turn the heat to medium and add the olive oil, remaining 1 tablespoon of oregano and rosemary to the same pot. Let the herbs simmer for a couple minutes before adding the onion and carrot. Cook the carrots and onions until the onions are opaque then add the garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then pour the remaining 4 cups of chicken stock in the pot. Add the remaining potatoes and bring the pot to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender then pour the blended potato-stock mixture in. Add the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes until the asparagus is tender, but still bright green.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper accordingly. Serve with parsley and crusty bread.
