Chicken Pot Pie Soup

One of my favorite things to eat as a kid was chicken pot pie. You know what I'm talkin' about, right? Those frozen Swanson pot pies? We almost never ate frozen food in our house, thanks to my mom's delicious scratch cooking, but it was a rare and exciting treat to learn that we could have a chicken pot pie for dinner on occasion. And of course homemade versions are even better, whether biscuit-topped or draped in flaky pie crust. Pot pie is comfort food at its finest. When I saw the recipe for this pot pie soup, I was intrigued. I loved the idea of a rich, creamy chicken soup full of vegetables and sans noodles (I personally think chicken noodle soup is gross for the most part). It also contains zero half and half or cream, so your waistline will thank you. This soup is delicious, hearty, and will transport you back to your childhood. It would be over the top if you put a warm biscuit atop this soup, or better yet, cut some shapes out of pie crusts and bake up into crackers. I sadly did neither, but no one complained.


Chicken Pot Pie Soup
-from gimmesomeoven.com

• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 cup baby bella mushrooms, diced
• 1/3 cup flour
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cups milk
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper

Heat butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until melted.  Add onion, carrots, and celery. Saute for 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent.  Add in the garlic and mushrooms, and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant.
Stir in the flour until it is completely combined, and saute for an additional 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Gradually add in the chicken stock and milk, stirring frequently.  Stir in the chicken, potatoes, corn, peas, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until combined.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring often so the milk doesn't scorch and stick to the bottom,  then reduce heat to medium-low, and continue simmering the soup for 20ish minutes until the potatoes are soft and cooked through. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.