So today I whipped up a pot of oh-so-yummy soup. I love homemade mushroom soups but my husband likes something a little more substantial. Adding chicken to it works perfectly. Now, if we weren't following a low-carb way of eating I'd make a chicken and wild rice soup with mushrooms - oh my word, how I love that - but rice is a huge, carby no-no right now. Since grains are off the list too, that means no flour to thicken our soup so my version in the photo above isn't as 'creamy' as readers who get to use 1/2 cup flour to thicken theirs. I used some xanthan gum but not much as I have digestive issues with it in amounts more than about a teaspoon per recipe so I meant to grab a low-carb thickener but I grabbed the resistant wheat starch container instead - which added fiber (cool!) but isn't a thickener so mine isn't that creamy but we are totally fine with that.
This is a recipe that you can add almost any leftover cooked chicken that you have! Grilled, roasted, seasoned? Ok. As a matter of fact I grabbed out some of my homemade chicken sausages and just used those - cooking and browning it in the pan before I removed it to saute' the mushrooms, celery and onions. If you don't have leftover cooked chicken, just grab a couple chicken breasts and cook them up. *IF YOU WANT TO MAKE THIS DURING LENT JUST LEAVE THE CHICKEN OUT COMPLETELY and oh my goodness it's good. I prefer it chicken-less but like I said above, The Husband likes some protein at dinner to make it more filling.
Chicken and Mushroom Soup
1 large container sliced mushrooms (or you can use 2 of the small square containers)
1/2 c chopped/sliced green onions
2/3 c chopped celery
1 c butter
Broth: I used 1 cup leftover chicken broth from a roasted chicken and 4 cups beef broth from boullion
1 t black pepper
1 t salt
1/2 t thyme
1 1/2 t lemon juice
1/4 t sauce of choice
3 c half and half or cream
1/2 - 2/3 c flour mixed in 1 cup cool water to thicken OR 2 t xanthan gum OR thickener of your choice
2 c cooked chicken of whatever you have
*optional 1 c sour cream which makes it even richer and thicker and adds a tang (I didn't use this time)
If you need to cook your chicken, do that. Then saute' the mushrooms, green onions and celery in the stick of real butter. When soft, add the seasonings and the broth. If you are using flour, cornstarch, etc. use it now and whisk til thickened over medium high. Turn it down to medium, add the cream or half and half slowly while stirring - don't let it boil once the cream is added. Add the chicken. If you want to add sour cream you can. Serve.
I used my chicken sausage - removed from the casings and browned in the pan.
Fresh green onions... I love.
Cooking the mushrooms, celery and onions...
Adding the cream slowly.
