Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Soup for Fall

Nothing says Fall like a warm soup! I decided to get into the Fall spirit by trying out a recipe by @fufuinthekitchen for Creamy Chicken & Veggie Soup. While others dive right into squash and pumpkin soups, I looked for something a little less intense. As a mom, my first priority was simply making sure my kids eat whatever it is I make.  I loved this soup because it was easy to make, had a really thick, comforting consistency, and is easily customizable. As the weather gets colder, it’s important to start making toastier foods (especially soups) that help comfort and warm our bodies as they transition into colder seasons. This recipe called for kale and mushrooms and despite having the ingredients, I decided to omit them knowing my kids wouldn’t eat them. The soup turned out delicious, regardless! Ok, so let’s get started!

INGREDIENTS

I followed the Fufu’s Kitchen recipe to the detail and had my iPad open on the recipe in front of me the entire time. Thank God for the internet because when it comes to recipes, the internet is a treasure box! Fufu’s Kitchen has tons of recipes ranging from quesadillas to maqlouba (for when us diaspora Arabs need some extra help). Also, her food photos are so crispy and enticing. They’re enough to motivate me to put dinner together.  Something I love about her blog that I haven’t seen other food bloggers do is how she listed the health benefits of each dish. For the Creamy Chicken & Veggie Soup, she listed some star ingredients like carrots, chicken broth, and potatoes and alongside their exact dietary benefit. For example, did you know carrots were high in fiber, potassium, and antioxidants?

1. Alright first, I cut up 1 lb. chicken breast and cooked in a pot with some olive oil. I seasoned them while they were cooking with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. I accidentally spilled too much garlic powder unto the chicken (I’m sure y’all have been there) but it didn’t matter to me. I knew my very Palestinian tastebuds could handle it. 
2. While the chicken was prepping, I began to prep my vegetables. I used baby carrots instead of the big ones and I found they were super easy to cut. By the time I got to the potatoes, my son wandered into the kitchen looking for a spontaneous lesson on vegetable chopping so I let him experiment with me (with safety precautions of course!).
3. By this time, the chicken was cooked, so I set it aside. I added some butter into the now empty pot and let it melt. Then I threw in the vegetables (sans mushrooms) and starch and let them sweat for 5 minutes. 
4.  Then it was time to add back the chicken and pour in 4 cups of chicken stock.  
5.  Next, I added ½ cupe heavy cream and 1 cup milk and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. I let the soup sit on low for 30 minutes while the potatoes and carrots softened.  
6.  I added my own seasoning at this point to enhance the flavor. I loved Fufu’s original recipe because it’s low on salt and lets the veggies and chicken flavor the soup (super healthy) but Better than Bouillon is a kitchen favorite!

That’s it! Those are all the steps-- simple and easy. And the best part? It was all made in only ONE pot. Yay for less dishes! Speaking of dishes, after making a delicious soup like this, I wanted to serve it to my family on pretty dinerware but didn’t want to add more work to the clean-up. So, of course, I used the blue, bold-print Days of Eid paper plates and paper bowls instead.  Let us know how you like the soup if you try it or if you choose to try a different soup from Fufu’s Kitchen.