Quick and Easy Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup
The other day, I experienced a sort of mental block, the one where you have absolutely no idea what to have for dinner. I had no special plans to go out with friends, and I completely forgot to do my grocery shopping to make anything meaningful. I was also exhausted from the day's work and the last thing I wanted to do was to slave over the stove for an hour. So I pondered for a few minutes trying to decide if I should just do some take out?
Making the best of leftovers
I quickly looked through the contents of my refrigerator - a small piece of chicken thigh and some random vegetables. Without thinking, I threw everything that I thought I could use into a small pot and cooked it quickly until it turned into a hearty bowl of soup. "But wait!", I thought. I also have some leftover cream that needs to be used. Now I had no idea how it would turn out, but without giving it much thought, in went the cream.
Add some creaminess to the soup
Surprisingly, the small amount of cream made a huge difference. The soup is definitely good without the cream, but adding it added a nice creaminess that didn't overwhelm, resulting in something between a clear soup and a thick potage. A squeeze of lemon cuts through the cream, balancing the flavors in the soup just perfectly.
Perfect soup for a light supper
With a nice piece of toast or baguette, it made for a light supper. I finished off my meal with some honey-sweetened tea and a sliced apple. The meal was just enough to satisfy my hunger without filling me up.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken thigh cut into 1-inch pieces
- 12 green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 1/2 small carrot, diced
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- salt and pepper to taste
- Cooking oil for sauteing
- 4 lemon wedges
Instructions
- Saute chicken pieces and onion slices in a pot with a little cooking oil.Saute for 3 minutes.
- Add carrots and saute for 2 minutes.
- Next, add green beans and saute for 1 minute.
- Add water to the pot and bring to boil.
- Lower to medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cream. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with lemon wedge