Soup Night: Chicken-Mushroom-Red-Pepper

Blog-follower-friend Breezy reminded me last Monday that it was Soup Night and wondered what we'd be having.  I'd gotten distracted from our usual weekly routine, especially for Soup Night, because I'm, frankly, not a huge soup fan, and my repertoire is rather small, compared to other dinner options.  Thanks to a new mushroom cookbook, a new batch of chicken broth made the day before, and her prompting, my mind began to form a new soup.  It was further pushed by the inclusion of a beautiful red bell pepper in my organic vegetable order that day.  So Chicken-Mushroom-Red-Pepper Soup came to be.                                                                                                                                 

Chicken-Mushroom-Red-Pepper Soup

In large pot over medium heat whisk together
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup flour                                                                                                                                           
Pour in
9 cups unseasoned chicken broth
2 12-oz cans evaporated milk
and heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbling.                                                                                                     
In separate skillet, saute the following until onions are translucent and the rest start to soften 

1 sweet onion, diced                  
4 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
6 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 - 4 cloves, garlic, pressed or diced fine                                                                                                         
Add sauteed vegetables to the soup.
Optional: At this point, blend with stick blender until almost smooth.                                                                              
Stir in 
2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced fine
1 lb green fresh or frozen peas
2-3 dashes nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste                                                                                                                                     

Heat through and serve.  (If it's too thin, mix up approximately 1/4 cup corn starch with just enough water to make a paste.  Stir in and heat until thickened and bubbling.)


Not a lot different than many soups I've shared here, I guess-- But a variation appreciated by the family.   Prince Go-for-it said it tasted "like chicken pot pie scooped out of the crust."