Creamy Chicken Soup with Carrots & Baby Peas for "Magazine Monday"

Today is a "blustery" day. Perfect for a nice warm bowl of soup and a slice of bread. This simple and satisfying soup fit the bill to a tee!!

Ivonne at Cream Puffs in Venice has declared Monday to be "Magazine Monday". I finally get to make those dishes I see in the magazines I thrive upon.


I am an avid collector of foodie magazines. I can't seem to leave the grocery store without the latest copy of at least 4 different magazines. I skip through all the articles and head straight for the food section!! I have all the best of intentions to prepare every dish that catches my eye and I bookmark them faithfully for a later date. Needless to say the pile is getting higher!!! Higher even than my cookbooks!! I came across this recipe in the November 2007 issue of Food & Wine Magazine as one of those recipes I had to try. What appealed to me you ask?

1)The simplicity of the dish by using a rotisserie chicken so that this soup could be made on a week night after work.

2)I enjoyed the idea of the subtle curry flavour.

3) The use of peasant bread as a thickening agent in the soup.

It turned out quite well with a mild curry flavour that I had hoped for. Watch out for the salt consumption by using too salty of a chicken broth. I added a little thyme which added a nice fresh herby aroma and flavour at the last minute. ( I had it on hand).

"Thickened with cubes of peasant bread and a touch of half-and-half, this soup is like a delicate chicken pot pie filling. Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut. If you have a few minutes to spare, save the bones and simmer them in a store-bought chicken broth for an enriched chicken flavour."

**Creamy Chicken Soup with Carrots & Baby Peas **

2 T unsalted butter
2 large carrots, very thinly sliced
1 leek, white and tender green parts, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 rotisserie chicken, dark meat and white meat pulled and coarsely shredded separately (3 cups total)
1/2 tsp mild curry powder
4 cups chicken stock or low sodium broth
salt and freshly ground white pepper
3 oz crustless peasant bread or country white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (2-1/4 cups)
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
1 T finely chopped flat leaf parsley

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In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the carrots and leek and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the dark meat and curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 3 cups of the stock and season with salt and white pepper. Simmer over moderate heat until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the bread with the remaining 1 cup of stock and the half-and-half.

Stir the puree into the soup along with the peas and simmer over low heat until thickened, about 8 minutes. Add the white meat and cook just until heated through, 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve right away.

Serve with a Creamy Chardonnay 2006 Chateau St. Jean Sonoma