As we transition to autumn, and the weather begins to get cooler, I’m starting to think about soups. Soup is so easy to make from scratch. I was in the mood for the flavor of chicken soup but I wanted a creamier, filling soup that could be a complete meal. I made this tasty Cream of Chicken Soup and it was a hit with the whole family.
It’s easy to make and doesn’t use heavy cream as its thickener. It’s pretty quick too. The whole process from chopping to simmering took about 40 minutes.
I served this delightful soup with crusty Italian bread and a green salad.
Cream of Chicken Soup
A creamy, delicious soup for cold weather evenings.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium carrot chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 inch leek (white part only) chopped
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup cooked chicken cut into small cubes
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a deep soup pot, add onion and cook for 5 minutes until golden. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add carrots, celery, red pepper, and leek and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.
- Add butter and stir into mixture until melted. Add flour and stir until it disappears and the mixture becomes like a paste.
- Pour in the chicken broth, milk, salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic powder. Stir until everything is combined. As the flour melts into the liquid, it will start to look thicker.
- Stir in the chicken and bring the soup to a simmer. Stir often so the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Allow the soup to simmer for about 10 minutes until desired thickness. Do not let it come to a boil.
- Serve immediately with crusty bread so you can soak up all the juices.
Notes
You can add more vegetables if you like. A handful of peas would make a good addition. Or try a frozen blend like succotash, which usually has corn and lima beans in the mix. A few pearl onions would be nice too.
If you want the soup to be even heartier, add a few of tablespoons of cooked rice to the mixture.
