Cheese Chicken Soup

Late September and the city has that particular fall light I have always loved — lower angle, golden, the kind that makes even ordinary city blocks look like they belong in a photograph. I walk to school three days a week now for the hybrid sessions and I have started leaving fifteen minutes early just to be in it. Ryan on his off days sometimes walks with me and we do not talk much, just walk, which is one of those things I will remember about this year: the walking without talking in the October light.

I made butternut squash soup this week, first of the season, which is my personal marker for fall having fully arrived. Roasted the squash first — cut side down at 400 until caramelized and soft — then blended with sauteed onion and garlic and chicken broth and a little cream. Finished with sage and nutmeg. The color is the orange of October leaves and it tasted exactly right. Ryan ate two bowls. I posted it on the blog with the note that this is the soup that means fall to me and always has, and the responses were full of people who have their own soup that means fall. I love this. I love that we all have that.

Wedding planning is entering a new phase: the food. Patty and I had a long phone call this week to talk through the menu and what it means to have a homemade wedding reception. We have the VFW hall with the kitchen. We have Babcia Rose doing pierogi — she insisted and we did not argue. We have a list of dishes that we are assigning out: Steve is doing brisket (he has a smoker in the backyard, I did not know this), Matt said he would do the coleslaw, Kristin said she would do something fancy that she has not decided yet. I said I would do my pot roast and the potato pancakes. Patty said she would do everything else. I believe her.

The blog this week prompted more than twenty recipe shares from readers about their own family-style wedding food. The collective wisdom of my readership is now a meaningful part of my wedding planning. That is a strange and wonderful sentence.

The butternut squash soup I made this week reminded me all over again why fall cooking is my favorite — there is something about a warm pot on the stove that makes the whole apartment feel different, quieter and more settled. I wanted to share another soup that lives in that same spirit: my Cheese Chicken Soup, which is the kind of thing I make when I want dinner to feel like a reward for getting through the week. It has that same golden, creamy comfort as the squash soup, just with a little more heft — the kind of bowl Ryan would definitely go back for seconds on too.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Saute the aromatics. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Cook the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to the pot and season with salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is just cooked through and lightly golden, about 6–8 minutes.
Build the base. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken and vegetables and stir well to coat everything evenly. Cook for 2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.
Add liquids and carrots. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add the carrots and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until carrots are tender.
Add dairy. Stir in the milk and heavy cream. Reduce heat to low — do not boil at this stage. Let the soup warm through for 5 minutes.
Melt in the cheese. Add the shredded cheddar one handful at a time, stirring after each addition until fully melted and the broth is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread or a simple green salad.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cheese Chicken Soup — The Soup That Means Fall to Me