Sorry, this photo is a bit blurry.

Wikipedia says Americans consume approximately 2.5 billion bowls of Campbell’s canned Tomato, Cream of mushroom, and Chicken Noodle Soup each year.

Canned soup . . . really?

Perhaps it’s because they never tasted really delicious homemade soup?

My mission, if I choose to accept it, is to share my best soup recipes so canned-soup addicts can wean themselves off the cans.

Will it work? The proof is in the soup, yes?

You’ll love this soup, I promise. It’s a bit “prepare” heavy with slicing and dicing, but after that, it’s a breeze! It’s so worth the effort.

  • 8 Tbls. butter
  • 1 med. onion, diced
  • 2 short celery stalks, incl. leaves, diced
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
  • 8 oz. fresh, sliced mushrooms (or 2 small cans, drained)
  • 3 cloves garlic pressed through garlic press
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 48+ ounces chicken stock
  • 4 cups milk
  • 4 cups shredded, cooked chicken
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • 1-1/2 to 2 pounds peeled potatoes, diced
  • 16 oz. frozen peas
  • 1-2 Tbls. coarse-ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. seasoning salt, or to taste (I use more)
  • 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 2 tsp. flavored Italian oil, optional

Boil chicken with bay leaves and a small amount of salt and pepper. Shred and set aside. Peel and dice potatoes and store in water. Dice onion and celery. Melt butter in a large pot. Add onion, celery, and carrots and sauté for 6-8 minutes until slightly softened. Add garlic and mushrooms and sauté for another minute.

Stir in flour, a little at a time. Mix and stir. If too dry, add chicken stock to allow flour to coat and “cook” slightly. Once the mixture is coated well, sauté for at least one more minute.

Drain diced potatoes in a colander. 

Gradually add milk and chicken stock to pot, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken, potatoes, frozen peas, salt, pepper, oregano, poultry seasoning, and Italian oil, if desired. The peas cool the mixture, so it will take a while for soup to come back to boiling point. Don’t use high heat, but stir frequently until mixture comes to a slow boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and cooked through. Cover pot for a faster result, but stir very often.

Serve with crackers, croutons, sourdough toast, or cornbread.

Accept compliments graciously.
 

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