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Food & Wine Recipe

Creamy Chicken Soup with Baby Peas and Carrots

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  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 4
  • FAST
  • MAKE-AHEAD

Thickened with cubes of peasant bread and a touch of half-and-half, this soup is like a delicate chicken pot pie filling. Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut; if you've got a few minutes to spare, save the bones and simmer them in store-bought chicken...

  1. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  2. 2 large carrots, very thinly sliced (preferably on a mandoline)
  3. 1 leek, white and tender green parts, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
  4. 1 rotisserie chicken, dark meat and white meat pulled and coarsely shredded separately (3 cups total)
  5. 1/2 teaspoon mild curry powder
  6. 4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
  7. Salt and freshly ground white pepper
  8. 3 ounces crustless peasant or country white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (2 1/4 cups)
  9. 1/2 cup half-and-half
  10. 1 cup frozen baby peas
  11. 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the carrots and leek and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the dark meat and curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 3 cups of the stock and season with salt and white pepper. Simmer over moderate heat until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the bread with the remaining 1 cup of stock and the half-and-half.
  3. Stir the puree into the soup along with the peas and simmer over low heat until thickened, about 8 minutes. Add the white meat and cook just until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve right away.

Suggested Pairing

Creamy Chardonnay.