Chicken pot pie soup

Soup season is finally here, I am thrilled to be whipping out my slow cooker out of storage. The basics of making the perfect soup starts with browing your onion and meat and roasting your veggies. So don’t skip these steps! These steps ensure your soup is flavorful and rich.

My family have been requesting a everything from tomato soup, stews and my favourite chicken pot pie soup, this recipe yields a big pot full which means no cooking the next day or you could easily turn the remaining soup into pot pies and bake them in puff pastry.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups diced potatoes

2 cups sliced carrots

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 slices bacon, chopped

500g boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

1 cup diced yellow onion

1 cup diced celery

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 ttablespoon flour

4 cups chicken stock

2 ½ cups milk

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 cups frozen peas

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°c. On a baking sheet, toss potatoes and carrots with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper; spread in an even layer. Bake until browned, about 15 minutes, tossing with a spatula halfway through cooking. Set aside.

2. In a cast iron pot, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; sprinkle bacon in an even layer and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Remove bacon using a slotted spoon, and set aside.

3. Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper; cook in batches until just browned, about 3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan using a slotted spoon. Set aside.

4. Add onion, celery, and garlic to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add butter; let melt. Sprinkle in flour; stir to coat vegetables, and let cook one minute, stirring constantly.

5. Gradually add stock, whisking constantly. Add milk, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low; add chicken, carrots, potato, and thyme. Let simmer until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes.

6. Stir in peas; taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Sprinkle servings with bacon, croutons and crusty bread.