In the 70s and 80s, every southern mother had peas and carrots on the dinner side dish rotation. Canned vegetable manufacturers made it easy for moms and conveniently sold them in the same can. Who knows why, but those peas and carrots popped in my mind a few weeks ago, and I simply had to turn them into a soup. I added chicken to make it a little more hardy. Lou texted me yesterday to say she could eat a gallon of it! It certainly will make you think of chicken pot pie, but not as heavy!
Peas and Carrots Soup with Chicken
Ingredients:
½ stick of butter
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cups diced carrots
6 stalks of celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup all-purpose flour
12 cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy whipping cream
12 ounce bag frozen green peas
1/2 cup rice
3 cups diced cooked chicken. I use rotisserie chicken.
Salt and pepper
Directions:
In a Dutch oven or soup pot, sauté the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in the butter. Add a little salt and pepper. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the flour and stir for a couple of minutes. Start adding in the chicken broth, but begin with only 2 cups mixing it well with the flour. Add the remaining chicken broth, whipping cream, peas and rice. Bring soup back to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Check to ensure the vegetables are tender and the rice is cooked before adding in the chicken. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.