Okay, so I’ve been trying to eat a little healthier lately, and I thought, “Hey, why not try making some cream of chicken soup? It’s gotta be better than the canned stuff, right?” And I also wanna know what’s the heck in it, so I did a reaserch on it, that how I started.
First thing, I grabbed a whole chicken. Yeah, a whole one. I figured I could use the leftovers for other stuff. I tossed it in a big pot with some water, threw in some chopped onions, carrots, and celery – you know, the usual suspects. I even added a bay leaf and some peppercorns, feeling all fancy.
I let that simmer for like, an hour and a half, maybe two? Until the chicken was cooked through and falling off the bone. I took the chicken out and let it cool down a bit, while I keep the liquid gold(chicken soup) stay in pot.
Then came the fun part – shredding the chicken. It took a while, but it was kinda satisfying. Once I had a nice pile of shredded chicken, I set it aside.
Making the Creamy Base
Next, I had to make that creamy base. I melted some butter in a separate pot – not too much, just enough to get things going. Then I whisked in some flour, little by little, until it formed a smooth paste. This is called a “roux,” apparently. I’m learning things!
I slowly poured in the chicken broth I made earlier, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. It started to thicken up nicely. Then I added some milk and some heavy cream– because, why not? I wanted it to be really creamy. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. I heard that’s a secret ingredient, It smells good.
Putting It All Together
Finally, I added the shredded chicken back into the pot. Let all cook together for 10 minutes, I think.
And that was it! My homemade cream of chicken soup. It was way tastier than the canned stuff, and I felt pretty good about making it myself.
Oh, And about the nutrition part, I did some checking online, but it gets a bit numbers-heavy. Basically, it depends on how much cream and butter you use. My version probably had a decent amount of protein from the chicken, some vitamins from the veggies, and, yeah, some fat from the cream and butter. It’s all about balance, right?
Here’s the rough nutrition data I pulled from online, but I still think homemade is better:
- Calories: It can vary quite a bit, somewhere between 150-300 calories per serving, depending on the ingredients.
- Fat: Again, depends on the cream and butter, maybe 5-20 grams per serving.
- Protein: A good source, thanks to the chicken – likely 10-20 grams per serving.
- Carbs: Not too many, probably around 10-15 grams per serving.
I’m no nutritionist, but I think my soup turned out pretty good, both taste-wise and health-wise. It’s definitely something I’ll make again! I highly recommend trying to make it from scratch – it’s a fun, tasty, and makes you feel like a real cook!
