OK, I woke up yesterday morning hungry for Navy bean soup. But when I discovered there wasn’t a ham hock in the freezer, I quickly changed my mind, and adjusted my thinking towards chicken soup. (I’m pretty easy to please when it comes to soup.) But I didn’t want to make one of my standard recipes for chicken soup. If I couldn’t have Navy bean soup, which tends to be inherently creamy as the beans break down, then I wanted to try building a creamy chicken soup for the lovely mouth feel that creamy soups provide. Thus, this recipe.
Now of course this soup includes all the usual suspects. Carrot, celery, onion, etc. But the addition of beurre manié at the end gives the soup a lovely creamy texture. And this soup is very versatile. Want mushrooms, spinach, rice instead of pasta, peas, etc. in your soup? Go for it! Want to use heavy cream instead of whole milk? Knock yourself out! This is just an easy soup to prepare and adapt to whatever your family will enjoy. Nothing special. Nothing new and exciting. Just a good soup that can be made either with freshly cooked chicken or leftover chicken or turkey.
So, that’s it for today. It’s warm and sunny here in northwest Washington. Mt. Baker is showing its beautiful countenance to its many admirers. Port Susan Bay is almost glass-like and a stunning blue/grey. And everywhere I look new leaves are decorating our vista while our lilac bushes insist upon perfuming the air. In other words, it’s a perfect day to work or read outside. And yes, I am very, very lucky.
So, with my book in hand, and my favorite chair in our courtyard just sitting there waiting for me, I leave you to spend the rest of your day also enjoying your surroundings.
The best advice my father ever gave me was to be happy with what I had. Not that I shouldn’t strive for what I wanted or needed. But I should always look around me and be grateful. I wish he were still alive so that I could thank him for his wisdom. Because I know far too many people who are always living in a world of “when I get this or that, I will be happy”. It simply doesn’t work that way. Be happy with what you have and try to help those around you to be happy also. All the rest will eventually fall into place.
Peace and love to all.
¼ c. unsalted butter, divided
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp. seasoned salt
freshly ground black pepper
½ lg. onion, finely diced
2 carrots, cut in quarters, then diced
2 ribs celery, cut in half lengthwise and then thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
¼ tsp. dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
1 T. chicken base (I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken)
2 tsp. dry sherry
⅓ c. flour
1 c. whole milk
2 c. thick egg noodles, cooked al dente
In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and add the chicken cubes. Sprinkle with the seasoned salt and pepper. Allow the chicken to get good and browned and almost crispy. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and refrigerate until needed.
Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and parsley. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then stir in the poultry seasoning, thyme, and bay leaves.
Add the chicken stock, chicken base, and dry sherry and simmer covered for about an hour or until the carrots are soft. Meanwhile, mush the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter with the flour in a small mixing bowl.
When the veggies are soft and just before you are ready to serve the soup, add the cooked chicken and milk. When hot, gently stir in the beurre manié (the French name for butter and flour mushed together as a thickening agent). Stir until the soup is hot and thickened. Add the al dente noodles. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning.