Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ stick)

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ stick)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 carrots (peeled and cut into ⅛-inch slices)

2 ribs celery (cut into ⅛-inch slices)

1 medium yellow onion (diced)

1 clove garlic (minced)

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup dry or semi-dry white wine

3½ cups half-and-half

2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

3 dried bay leaves

1½ teaspoon herbs de Provence

½ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)

½ teaspoon ground paprika (optional)

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

5 cups cooked chicken (cubed or shredded – rotisserie chicken works well, see note)

Freshly shredded Gruyere cheese

Chopped fresh parsley

Directions

For the Roux

Cook

Heat 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan then sprinkle the flour on top. Whisk quickly until well combined. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the roux turns light golden brown. Slowly, while whisking, add 1-cup chicken stock to the roux and whisk vigorously until smooth. Remove the roux from the heat and set it aside while combining other ingredients.

For the Soup

Sauté

In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil over Med-High heat. Add the carrots and celery, sauté 5 minutes; stir occasionally. Add the diced onions and cook 3 additional minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds – just long enough for the garlic to bloom.

Deglaze

Slowly add 1 cup of broth while scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze the pan. Add the rest of the broth and the wine, the roux and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir often..

Reduce the heat to low and add all other ingredients except the garnishes.

Simmer 15 minutes then taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. This is the time to add salt or pepper, if desired. Continue to simmer the soup until it thickens, about 30-45 minutes more, or to the desired consistency.

Discard the bay leaves.

Garnish with sprinklings of shredded Gruyere and fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bowl
• Calories: 444 kcal
• Total Fat: 31 g
• Saturated Fat: 13 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
• Trans Fat: 0.3 g
• Cholesterol: 118 mg
• Sodium: 166 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 14 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Total Sugars: 7 g
• Protein: 26 g