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I love a good hearty bowl of soup in the fall and winter months and this soup almost makes me look forward to another cold winter.
Okay, maybe not a cold winter… let’s not get crazy. I am a Southerner now after all, and we don’t really have a winter season – but maybe I can drop the air conditioning down and shiver while I eat a steaming bowl of this delicious soup.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PASTRY STICKS
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed per package instructions
- 1 egg, beaten
FOR THE SOUP
- 4 chicken breast halves, or 2 cups leftover cooked chicken
- ground pepper and salt – to taste
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 quart (4 cups) heavy cream
- 4 teaspoons chicken base – or per the pkg instructions See Notes**
- 1 cup water (for dissolving the chicken base)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ small yellow onion, minced
- 1 cup frozen green peas, cooked
- 1 cup chopped cooked carrots
- Pinch (about 1/4 tsp) fresh grated nutmeg, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Season chicken with seasoned salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked through. Remove from heat and cut into chunks. Alternatively, you may use precooked chicken. Once cooked, remove chicken from pan and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, Cut each sheet of thawed puff pastry into 1-inch strips and place on a large cookie sheet.
4. Brush egg onto the pastry strips (for browning). Bake for 10 minutes, or until dough has risen and turned light golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside until ready to serve.
5. Dissolve the chicken base into 1 cup of water. Stir until fully dissolved.
6. Then into the same large skillet, melt butter and saute the onions until they soften; about three minutes. Then slowly add flour, stirring until consistency of peanut butter, but do not brown like a roux — you want it to remain a golden color. Slowly add cream and keep stirring. Add chicken base ( to taste), and garlic, and stir until thickened. Add peas, carrots, nutmeg (optional), and cut up chicken. Remove from heat. Thin to your desired consistency
7. Serve with puff pastry sticks.
