Homemade Chicken Vegetable Stew

I made this wonderful, vitamin-packed soup on Sunday and today we finished it off.  It's even better on day 2!

Varivo (vah-ree-voh) is a Croatian staple food.  It is eaten year-round but especially in the winter.

You can use any kind of meat you'd normally use in a soup - I used a chicken carcus left over from the fryer chicken I had cut up the day before, when I made fried chicken. 

I boil my chicken for at least a hour on a rolling boil. 

While the chicken is boiling I start preparing what I plan to put in the soup.

This is celery root with the stalks and leaves.  I love using everything fresh as possible.

I cut the stalks and leaves off and slice off a couple of slices for the soup.  The rest will go in the fridge to be slowly used in other soups and broths. 

I cut the leaves off of the stalks.  I'll use a couple in this soup - and the rest will be saved for future soups.

Here I have washed the leaves, minced them, and will dry them to make flakes.  Celery flakes add a wonderful flavor!  Some of these fresh ones will go in my soup.

Fresh parsley and parsnips

I cut the stems off - 2 will be sliced like carrots and go in my soup - the rest will be saved for another day.

I separated the stems from the leaves, minced them, and will dry them to make flakes.  Some of these fresh ones will go in my soup, though.

I will add diced onion and minced garlic...

Here is the diced celery root (I peeled off the edges)

Diced celery stalks and parsnips

Two-toned cabbage...

(I shredded some for a salad...yum....add some oil, vinegar and salt and you have a wonderful salad!)

Diced fresh tomatos (I also added some from yesterday's tomato salad...why throw away when you can throw it in a soup the next day???)

hmmmm..found some carrots I had forgotten about.  Never mind.  I cut off the bad parts and they are still useable.  Just make sure that the centers are not off-color.

Diced potato and carrots

The meat off the carcus

I also added some cauliflower and zucchini that I had blanched and frozen before we left for vacation.

I season it with salt, 2 bay leaves, paprika, and pinch of boullion.  Sometimes I pull off some of the juices, cool them, and add a bit of flour to thicken.

This is usually served with thick slices of fresh french bread.