Chunks of chicken, carrots, sweet peas and corn kernels in a creamy soup topped with grated cheese. Simple, filling, satisfying.
Once in a while, we run out of fresh vegetables. With the market quite a distance from our house, it isn’t practical to there for just a few things. We try to do our marketing in bulk so that we only need to to it about once a week. So, what do I do when we run out of fresh vegetables? Well, I keep frozen and canned vegetables especially for such emergencies. I always have a bag of mixed carrots, corn and sweet peas in the freezer and some canned mushrooms, corn kernels and baby corn on the kitchen shelves. I also stock up on dried mushrooms–black chinese, abalone and wood ears. They keep for a long time.
Tonight, or rather last night, was one of those nights when the only “fresh” vegetable we had were the parsley and peppers growing at the backyard. So I opted to use frozen vegetables and canned soup. It was still a great dinner!
Ingredients :
1/2 k. of chicken chicken thigh meat
2-1/2 c. of chicken broth
2 onions
2 c. of frozen mixed vegetables
1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. of butter
1 tsp. of flour
1/4 c. of milk + 1/4 c. of cream (half-and-half)
salt and pepper to taste
grated cheese for garnish
Cooking procedure :
Cut the chicken meat into 1″ x 1″ cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
Halve the onions then slice thinly. Thaw frozen vegetables and drain well.
Melt 1/4 c. of butter in a large casserole over medium-high heat. Lightly brown the chicken chicken meat in batches, removing them with a slotted spoon as they brown. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.
Saute the onions in the remaining butter in the casserole until soft. Add the mixed vegetables. Stir until the vegetables are heated through. Pour in the chicken broth. Return the chicken meat to the casserole. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a soft boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the white sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter. Add the flour all at once, stirring. Cook the flour until it starts to brown. Pour in the half-and-half and cook over low heat just until the sauce thickens. Set aside.
Add the condensed cream of chicken soup and white sauce. Stir well to dissolve any lumps. Cook until the soup simmers. Serve at once, topped with grated cheese.
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