Chicken & Sweet Potato Soup

Source: Who Else?

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 red onion, finely diced (I used yellow)
I red bell pepper, diced (I used green)
3 ribs celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
7-8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or use about 3-4 cups of shredded, cooked chicken) (I wanted a little more emphasis on the veggies, so I reduced the amount of chicken and increase the amount of sweet potato)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried marjoram (I used oregano)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3 bay leaves (I only used 1)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (personal addition, see note)

Directions:
1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat and add onions. Cook, stirring often, about 5-6 minutes, until softened. Add bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook 5-6 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Add remaining ingredients (except chicken, if you're using cooked), stir well, and bring to a low boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for about 40-45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. If using cooked chicken, stir it in at this point and let it heat through. Discard bay leaves, stir in cheese, and serve.

Notes: Yum! I was planning on trying a different new soup recipe tonight, but at the last minute I felt lazy and tried this one instead. I'm so glad I did! It was perfectly hearty and flavorful - Bret and Melia gobbled it up faster than any dinner we've had all month. I obviously made a lot of substitutions to accommodate what I had in the pantry, but I don't think that any of them made much of a difference. However, towards the end of cooking, I was very distracted and I thought I had the rest of the recipe memorized enough to close the laptop, so I didn't realize until now that the cheese that I stirred in wasn't even part of the recipe! I think it was from the other soup I was planning on making. Ha! But having tasted the heavenly creaminess that it added to the soup, I don't think I could make it without the cheese in the future. What a happy accident!