Creamy Chicken Broccoli Soup

I always crave a creamy soup. And this recipe just so happens to be both delicious and easy to make!

[Serves 4]

Ingredients:

1000 g whole Chicken (with bone)

1 Litre water

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 cup fresh broccoli florets, chopped

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream

2 cup milk

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 Tbs salt (add more for taste)

1 Tbs ground black pepper

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Start by rinsing the chicken until clean. Add it to a pot of boiling water accompanied by salt and black pepper. Allow it to cook for about an hour or until the chicken is easily seperated from the bone. Add more water to the pot if needed.

Using a strainer, pour the chicken broth into a measuring cup and measure about 1/2 litres of broth. set is aside to be used later on in the recipe.

Meanwhile, chop the 1/2 onion and broccoli.

Heat a pot with 3 Tbs of butter. Add the broccoli and onions. Cook them on medium-high heat until softened for about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of flour and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

Slowly add the 1 cup cream, only 1 cup milk, and half the broth. Use a wooden spoon to combine. Then, sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Heat it over medium heat until it reduces by a little, about 15 minutes. Add in the remaining broth and the remaining 1 cup of milk, stir again to combine. Cook for a further 10 minutes.

Add the chicken and heat the soup for 5 minutes. Serve warm topped with shredded cheddar cheese. Be sure to serve it with some warm breadsticks - such as the one shown above (you can follow the link here), or some toasted french bread (Here is a great garlic infused version). Enjoy!