Spirited Essence Works

January is National Soup Month, so I threw together this recipe just in time before the month ended. It’s packed full of vegetables and with a roux put together at the end adds a creamy taste that will warm any winter chills. It’s super easy and uses a crockpot, which to me is a lifesaver. It’s so nice to go to work and know dinner will be ready when I get home. You can change out the veggies with ones more suitable for your palate or add more meat. I try to have a balance for my family because I love a hearty vegetable soup, where my husband is more of a meat and starch soup lover. Feel free to use any rice of your choice, I prefer Basmati but Wild Rice or Jasmine Rice would work too. This recipe calls for Bay leaves too. One of my family traditions is whoever gets the bay leaf in their bowl is to have good luck for the rest of the week, just a funky superstition to bring some cheer around the table. If you are in more of a time crunch, you could cook it in the crockpot on high. Yet to me, it seems that the vegetables are slightly more crunchy when cooked on high. So give it a whirl, and celebrate National Soup Month with your family with this delicious, wholesome meal.

Creamy Chicken n’ Vegetable Soup

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 8 hrs 15 mins

Total Time: 8 hrs 30 mins

Serving: 8-10

Ingredients

1 cup of basmati rice, uncooked

2lbs. of chicken breast

1 cup of onion, diced

1 cup of carrots, sliced

1 cup of celery, sliced

1 cup of green beans, cut

6 cloves garlic, whole

2 bay leaves

5 1/2 cups of chicken broth

1 1/2 cups of water

2 tsp  of Italian seasoning

1 tsp of black pepper

2 tsp of salt

6 Tbsp of butter

1/2 cup of flour

1 1/2 cups of milk

Directions

Rinse rice. In a slow cooker, place rice, chicken breast, onions, carrots, celery, green beans, garlic, bay leaves, chicken broth, water, italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Once chicken is cooked, remove from cooker and shred. Place shredded chicken back into slow cooker.

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Add in flour and cook for one minute. Whisk the mixture while adding the milk. Continue to whisk until mixture thickens and becomes creamy.

Mix in roux to the slow cooker, stir until well combined. Let soup cook for 5 mins, then serve. 

Enjoy!