One Great . . . easy chicken soup

I try not to use too many recipes from Akron food writer Jane Snow's newsletter, See Jane Cook. But I can't help it - she runs easy dishes that always taste good. Jane used to be food editor at the Akron Beacon Journal, and she's been a friend for as long as I've been a food writer.

If you go to www.janesnowtoday.com, you can find archives of her recipes and sign up to get a free weekly newsletter. Her writing is always down to earth and interesting, just like her recipes.

This soup is a great example. It's so simple, I threw it together while making something else for dinner one night. I let it simmer while we ate and cleaned up, then cooled it and put it away. The rest of the week, I had a great fast dish to pack for lunch or grab when I was too busy to cook dinner for myself.

Jane's Golden Chicken and Cabbage Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons dried thyme
32 ounces (4 cups) chicken broth
1 (32-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 small head of cabbage, cored and chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar

HEAT a medium-sized soup pot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat. Reduce the heat to very low and add the onions and garlic. Cook very slowly, until the onions are silky soft and just beginning to brown around the edges, about 15 minutes.

SCRAPE the onions and garlic to one side of the pan, and pull that side of the pan a little off the heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat to medium-high. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until browned in spots. Season with plenty of salt and pepper, then add the paprika, turmeric and thyme.

RETURN all of the pot to the heat and stir the onions into the chicken and spices. Add the chicken broth. Using a slotted spoon, add the whole tomatoes from the can, leaving the juice behind in the can, but leaving the juice that's already in the tomatoes. Add the cabbage, cover and simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon.

CORRECT the seasonings and add the sugar to taste. Cool and refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat before serving.

YIELD: About 6 servings.