Chicken Pot Pie Soup

 It's hard to beat Chicken Pot Pie, but it can be rather time consuming to make depending on your method. My son told me about this Chicken Pot Pie Soup last year, and at first I thought it sounded rather pointless. After all you may just as well make pot pie I reasoned. But I gave the soup a try and it is delicious and rather fun to serve with broken pieces of pie crust tucked into the bowls of soup. Yes, it tastes just like Chicken Pot Pie, but just in a different form. The thick, flavorful broth is full of vegetables, tender chicken and is real old fashioned comfort food. Give it a try this winter; it's a great soup to make during the holidays too. In fact, this soup will taste wonderful using some of your left-over Turkey from thanksgiving dinner.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Adapted from Aaron McCargo, Food Network - 6-8 servings approximately
I cut out some of the fat from the original recipe, used cornstarch instead of flour, half and half instead of cream and changed spices.

Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 quarts (6 cups), chicken stock or broth
1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken- I use chicken breasts that have been baked, or simmered in water until tender
2 tablespoons oil or butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced-about 1 cup
2 stalks celery, diced
4 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in a little water to make a slurry
1 1/2 pounds frozen vegetables- I used fresh vegetables this time
3/4 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, or sage, or herb of your choice- thyme is also good
1 store-bought pie crust, baked

Directions:
1. Cook the chicken, or use a rotisserie chicken, or left over baked chicken. Bake 1 pie crust, according to package directions.
2. In a dutch oven, cook the onion and celery in the oil until just softened. Pour in the chicken broth or stock and bring to a simmer.
3. Add the frozen vegetables, and the diced potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes.
4. Mix the cornstarch with a little water to make a slurry. Pour half into the soup, stirring constantly. Add the rest if desired, to get the thickeness you want.
5. Stir in the half and half and the chicken. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add herbs to taste.
6. Serve in bowls garnished with pieces of pie crust. Enjoy!