Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup

I have made this soup twice in the past week, and I really like it, so I will share it with you.  I found it at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, one of my favorite sites. You can find it here

Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup

2 Tblsp butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 reg carrots or handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth
2 to 3 potatoes- peeled and finely diced
1 cup milk
4 Tblsp flour
1 (8 oz) pkg of cream cheese
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
* option (2 cups noodles, either egg noodles or wide noodles)

Directions:
1. In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots.  Saute, stirring often, for 3 to 4 min, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent.  Add the chicken broth and potatoes.  Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 min.
(If using the  long skinny chicken noodle soup egg noodles, I do this step a bit different. Add the chicken broth and noodles, cook for 10 min, then add the potatoes and cook for ten minutes.)
(If using the quick cook in 5 min noodles, then let the potatoes and chicken broth cook for five min first and then add the quick noodles)  Depending on what noodles you use, read the package to see how long they take to cook, and adjust to how long this recipe gives you to cook the potatoes and so forth. 

2. In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth.  Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 min, until the soup begins to thicken slightly.  Stir often to ensure the soup doesn't burn.

3. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty.  Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon size pieces.  Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through, then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well.

4 Add the cooked chicken and heat through.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve.

So both times I have added noodles (I used two diff kinds mentioned above) and loved it.  Since I am making it for my little girl or grandkids, they seem to gobble it more if there are noodles in it!  
I have also added mushrooms when sauteing the onions, celery and carrots, I love mushrooms.  You can add bell pepper as well, as I have done that and thought it gave it good flavor.  Just have fun and throw in whatever ingredients you like!

This is my new favorite soup!  Yay!

And now for a thought for the day:

"Self worth is not measured by accolades, but by being able to look in the mirror and smile.  -Janice Harris "

and "As you get older you will understand more and more that it's not about what you look like or what you own, it's all about the person you have become"

Have a wonderful day! and EAT SOUP!