Chicken, Mushroom and Leek Soup with Mini Shells

[labradors]

Sometimes, the best recipes are created by just using what you have on hand when you want to clear out the refrigerator.

In this case, I had some extra mushrooms and leeks left from last week, and I certainly didn't want them to go bad. In addition, there were some chicken breasts halves I needed to cook.

At first, I had decided to bake the chicken, plain, then to pull the meat from the bones for use in other things. After the chicken came out of the oven, I remembered the mushrooms and leeks, and decided it sounded like the makings of a tasty soup.

I'll spare you the details of how I decided to add a couple of other things (you'll see them in the ingredient list), and just skip to the recipe.

This was superb, so now it has been written down to make sure I can make it again. In fact, there is still some more chicken left so, if more mushrooms are available right away, I'll be making a couple batches of this to freeze for later! YUM!

Creamy Chicken, Mushroom and Leek Soup with Mini Shells
(Makes about 4 quarts)

Ingredients:

• 3 Quarts water
  
• 4 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 4 Leeks, white and light-green parts only, sliced
  
• 1 Pound Button mushrooms, sliced
  
• 3 Cubes of Chicken Bouillon
  
• 3 Cubes of Garlic Bouillon
  
• 2 Chicken-breast halves, cooked, and meat pulled from the bones
  
• 3 Chipotle chiles, canned, with some of their adobo sauce, very finely chopped (or ground in a mortar and pestle)
  
• 8 Ounces Mini-shell pasta
  
• 2 Cups Heavy cream
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Bring the water to a boil in a Dutch oven.
   
2. While the water is heating, heat a sautée pan on medium heat, add and heat the oil, then add the leeks and cook for about 2 minutes.
   
3. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are soft and the mushrooms are tender.
   
4. When the water comes to a boil, add the bouillon cubes and the chicken.
   
5. When the mushrooms and leeks are done, add them to the soup in the pot.
   
6. Add the chipotles, stir everything together well, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
   
7. Add the mini shells and continue to simmer for the amount of time specified on the pasta package or until al dente.
   
8. Add the heavy cream and heat through.
   
9. Adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Afterthought: This would probably be good with some slices of French or Italian bread for dipping and "clean up." Shall get some tomorrow, and try it.

[Mare749]

This sounds very good labs! I like the addition of chipotles in a cream soup. Looks like you have a winner.
Copied and saved.

I was just thinking that the same recipe might be good with seafood too.

[farnfam]

MMMmmm, doesn't that sound sooo good!

[DFen911]

I have never seen garlic bullion, but this soup does sound very very tasty. Copied and saved.

[labradors]

Thanks.

Maryann: Sounds interesting. I prefer relatively mild fish, though, and think the other flavours would be too much for them. Perhaps it could work with lobster, crab, or crawfish, though (and I DO like those), so maybe it would be okay with something like clams, oysters, scallops, etc. In a way, it IS kind of like a chowder. Can't say much more about the clams, and the like, though, since I just don't like them.

Denise: I never saw the garlic bouillon until I moved here, so maybe it isn't available in the States. It's made by Knorr, but those international companies don't always have the same products in each country. For that matter, the chicken bouillon I use is the Central American brand "Doña Marí," and I like it because it not only has a good flavour, but also has MUCH less sodium than Maggi or Knorr. Canned broth isn't always available here and, as one person, I don't eat enough chicken for me to be making real stock all the time. The garlic bouillon is actually rather tasty, just by itself. When I first bought it, I tried just one cube of that in one cup of boiling water, and it was delicious! If you can't find it, though, you could probably just substitute more chicken bouillon (or stock), and add some minced garlic, instead.

[cjs]

"Sometimes, the best recipes are created by just using what you have on hand when you want to clear out the refrigerator." - aha, the words I live by!!

does sound very good.

[Gourmet_Mom]

This sounds really good, Labs! Copied and saved.

[Old Bay]

Quote:

---

Sometimes, the best recipes are created by just using what you have on hand when you want to clear out the refrigerator.

In this case, I had some extra mushrooms and leeks left from last week, and I certainly didn't want them to go bad. In addition, there were some chicken breasts halves I needed to cook.

At first, I had decided to bake the chicken, plain, then to pull the meat from the bones for use in other things. After the chicken came out of the oven, I remembered the mushrooms and leeks, and decided it sounded like the makings of a tasty soup.

I'll spare you the details of how I decided to add a couple of other things (you'll see them in the ingredient list), and just skip to the recipe.

This was superb, so now it has been written down to make sure I can make it again. In fact, there is still some more chicken left so, if more mushrooms are available right away, I'll be making a couple batches of this to freeze for later! YUM!

Creamy Chicken, Mushroom and Leek Soup with Mini Shells
(Makes about 4 quarts)

Ingredients:

• 3 Quarts water
  
• 4 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 4 Leeks, white and light-green parts only, sliced
  
• 1 Pound Button mushrooms, sliced
  
• 3 Cubes of Chicken Bouillon
  
• 3 Cubes of Garlic Bouillon
  
• 2 Chicken-breast halves, cooked, and meat pulled from the bones
  
• 3 Chipotle chiles, canned, with some of their adobo sauce, very finely chopped (or ground in a mortar and pestle)
  
• 8 Ounces Mini-shell pasta
  
• 2 Cups Heavy cream
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Bring the water to a boil in a Dutch oven.
   
2. While the water is heating, heat a sautée pan on medium heat, add and heat the oil, then add the leeks and cook for about 2 minutes.
   
3. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are soft and the mushrooms are tender.
   
4. When the water comes to a boil, add the bouillon cubes and the chicken.
   
5. When the mushrooms and leeks are done, add them to the soup in the pot.
   
6. Add the chipotles, stir everything together well, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
   
7. Add the mini shells and continue to simmer for the amount of time specified on the pasta package or until al dente.
   
8. Add the heavy cream and heat through.
   
9. Adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Afterthought: This would probably be good with some slices of French or Italian bread for dipping and "clean up." Shall get some tomorrow, and try it.

---

Thanks to an anon--I never saw this!! Copied!! P.S.-This time of the year use leftover turkey!!

[labradors]

Even I had forgotten about this one, and I created it! LOL! This really was very good, though, and I'll have to make it again. Thanks, Bill.

[foodfiend]

Excellent, something to do with that leftover turkey instead of my usual Turkey Carcass Soup (a Jane Brody recipe). And, Labs, exactly how many cans of chipotle do you go through in a given month?!?!