Ground Chicken, Squash & Chickpea Soup

1 cup (250 mL) onion, diced

4 garlic, cloves, minced

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

1 lb (0.5 kg) ground chicken, lean, raw

1 cup (250 mL) celery, fresh, sliced

2 cup (500 mL) carrot, fresh, sliced

2 cups (500 mL) butternut squash, fresh, diced

2 bay leaves, dry

1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) black pepper, freshly ground

28 fl oz (830 mL) tomatoes, diced, canned

2 1/3 cups (585 mL) chickpeas, canned

4 cups (1 L) chicken broth, low sodium, ready-to-use

1 tsp (5 mL) paprika, sweet

1 cup (250 mL) macaroni, brown rice - gluten free, dry

1 tsp (5 mL) basil, dried

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) thyme, dried

1/2 cup (125 mL) cheese, cheddar, shredded

1 Dice the onions and mince the garlic.
2 Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot that has a lid. Add the diced onions and minced garlic and sauté 3 minutes until onions are soft. Stir in ground chicken, continue to sauté 5 minutes while using the back of spoon to break ground chicken into smaller pieces.
3 Meanwhile, slice celery and carrots. Dice the squash into half inch (1.25 cm) cubes. Add to the soup pot along with the bay leaves and freshly ground black pepper. Stir and continue to cook over medium heat.
4 Add the canned diced tomatoes and chickpeas with their juices along with the chicken broth and paprika. Stir, cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
5 Stir in the dry macaroni, basil and thyme. Turn off heat, cover and leave to sit 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove bay leaves.
6 To serve, ladle into bowls and top with a tablespoon (15 mL) of shredded cheddar cheese. The soup should still be hot but you can heat it up a bit more if you wish.