Everything Soup

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Kosher salt
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 rainbow carrots, peeled and diagonally cut into ¾-inch slices
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch pieces
• 2 large bay leaves
• 1.5 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, or ¾ teaspoon dried
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 Yukon gold potato (about 6 ounces), peeled and cut into {=amount3/v}-inch cubes
• 4 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small leek, white and light green parts, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced, rinsed thoroughly, and drained
• ¾ cup frozen corn kernels
• 1.5 cups (8 ounces) bite-size or shredded skinless pieces of home-cooked or rotisserie chicken
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the rosemary, garlic, and a tiny pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set the skillet aside for the butter to infuse.
2. In a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add the onion, carrots, red pepper, bay leaves, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Adjust the heat to medium-low, cover, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have released their juices, about 8 minutes. Add the broth and potato, adjust the heat to medium-high, and bring the liquid to a simmer. Adjust the heat to very low, cover, and simmer until the potato is barely tender, about 5 minutes. Add the green beans, adjust the heat to medium-high, and return the liquid to a simmer. Adjust the heat to very low, cover, and simmer until the green beans are barely tender, about 3 minutes more. Add the leek, corn, chicken, ¾ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper; adjust the heat to medium-high; and return the liquid to a simmer. Adjust the heat to very low, cover, and simmer until the potato is fully tender, the green beans are tender-crisp, the leeks are wilted, and the corn and chicken are heated through, about 3 minutes more. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
3. Return the rosemary-garlic butter to medium heat to melt. Strain the butter through a fine-mesh strainer. Serve the soup, drizzling a teaspoon or two of the flavored butter on the surface of each serving.