I’m a big fan of those creamy soups and chowders! Unfortunately they are not all that good for our health the way they are typically made. This is easily fixed with a few key swaps which I have given you in this recipe.
Swaps to make a Healthy Cream of Chicken Soup
The first swap is to make the white sauce with extra virgin olive oil. This is one of the best oils for health. That doesn’t mean we need a lot of it, as all oils are high in kilojoules. It just means that it has the best evidence behind it as being beneficial for our health, especially our heart health.
The next swap is to add in the vegetables. The recipes I looked at just used vegetables to help make the broth. That is great, but where are the vegetables in the soup? Go the extra mile and add in whatever vegetables you enjoy. I’m sure I could have added more than I did for this photo.
Another swap was to use chicken breast. Most recipes use chicken on the bone, like legs, wings or Maryland. I don’t have a big problem with these as they have the best flavoured chicken. The main issue typically is the fat under the skin, plus it is fiddly trying to get the chicken off the bone. To reduce fat and make it easier to work with, I find chicken breast that is trimmed of fat, quite nice. The flavour difference isn’t worth worrying over, especially since we added in extra flavour with the mushroom and veggies.
Finally, if you like to have some bread with your soup as most people I know do, why not make it into cheesy toast. Doing this will add in the health benefits of the cheese (ie calcium). While just buttering your toast is not doing your health much good.
So see how you go with these swaps and enjoy your soup! Yum!
Healthy Creamy Chicken Soup
This classic chicken soup recipe just got a health tick!
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Put 3.5 cups of water into a large saucepan with the stock, chicken, onion, 2 of the celery stalks and the leek.
- 2
Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for about 1 hour.
- 3
Strain the liquid into a large jug and discard the solids, except the chicken.
- 4
Shred the chicken and put aside for later.
- 5
In the same saucepan, heat the oil and add the mushrooms to lightly cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook with the mushrooms for another minute or until fragrant. Add in the flour and stir until it is mixed well. Allow this to bubble for 1 minute, while stirring.
- 6
Slowly pour in the saved liquid stock, 1/3 cup at a time and stir until the liquid has incorporated into the flour and is smooth. Continue to gradually pour in the liquid while stirring to keep the sauce smooth.
- 7
Once all the stock is added, pour in the milk and stir until incorporated.
- 8
Add in the remaining vegetables and the shredded chicken. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 9
Top with parsley and serve with toast topped with melted cheese.
Nutrition (per serving)
Estimated from the FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database. Actual values will vary depending on the specific products used — not a substitute for individual dietary advice.
