Chicken Mushroom Soup

Your Soothing Comfort Food: Chicken Mushroom Soup

Sip, slurp and sip. That’s how we love spending our winter nights with a cup of warm chicken soup. Let’s face it, it’s enough for a slight nip in the breeze to cause our cravings, and since winter is now upon us, after all, it’s time to wear the apron. Soft, soothing and full of warmth, instant cheer can be spread by a bowl of well-made chicken soup. It just helps that the care is still so safe. Yeah, you’ve heard us, chicken soup, if made right, you might add value to your diet for weight loss.

A source of lean protein is what chicken is all about. Now, if you are on a diet to lose weight, you have to be mindful of the importance of protein in your life. Protein helps build muscle; the less space there is for fat to accumulate, the more muscle you have. The feeling of satiety also tends to trigger protein. If you are already loaded, you are much less likely to binge. Because it takes a while to digest protein, it remains in your bloodstream for a longer time, thereby avoiding cravings.

Packed with succulent chicken chunks, and tender mushrooms, this soup is a feisty mix of all things healthy and yummy. Here goes the recipe from our chefs at Gurkhas:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup half and half, or more, as needed*
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary

Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a big stockpot or Dutch oven. To taste, season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. In the stockpot, add chicken and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
2. Over medium heat, melt the butter in the stockpot or Dutch oven. Garlic, mushrooms, onions, carrots and celery are all added. Cook , stirring periodically, for around 3-4 minutes, until tender. Stir in the thyme for about 1 minute until it is fragrant.
3. Whisk in the flour for around 1 minute, until lightly browned. Whisk in the chicken stock, bay leaves and chicken thighs, and cook for around 4-5 minutes, whisking constantly, until lightly thickened.
4. Stir in half and half until completely heated, around 1-2 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, add more than half and half as required before it reaches the desired consistency.
5. Serve right away, garnished, if desired, with parsley and rosemary.

The imaginative and inventive spins you can give to the treat are the best part about soups. You like classic old chicken soup, all right. But if you are ready to explore, then there are plenty of ways to spruce it up. Broccoli, peppers, onions, mushrooms, put all you want in your soup, and it’s very likely that you’ll end up with something good.