Two Cheese Chicken Vegetable Lasagna Soup with Croutons

This chunky soup has two different kinds of cheese, two different vegetables, pasta, and chicken.

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Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 4 cups fresh or canned chicken broth
• 1/3 cup julienne carrots
• 1/3 cup chopped broccoli
• 4 oz. dried rotini pasta
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups warm half-and-half or light cream
• 3 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 cup chopped cooked chicken
• 1/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes
• 8 1 1/2-inch squares Italian bread cubes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley

Method

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir 1 teaspoon of the garlic and the onion until onion is tender. Add broth to saucepan. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat; add carrots, broccoli, and pasta. Cook for 8 to 9 minutes or just until pasta is almost done. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in sherry. Set aside. In a medium saucepan melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in flour. Slowly add warm half-and-half. Heat gently until thickened. Add mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, stirring until melted. Stir cheese mixture into pasta mixture. Return saucepan to medium heat; add pepper and chicken; heat through. Stir in potato flakes; cook and stir 1 minute more. Meanwhile, for croutons, toss bread cubes with olive oil and the remaining 1 teaspoon garlic. Spread in a single layer on a medium baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted, turning once. Serve soup with croutons and sprinkle each serving with parsley.

Notes: Instant potato flakes give this soup "second day" richness instantly. The "really big" croutons make it fun. Adjust salt if necessary for unsalted broth.

Number of servings: 4

Submitted By: wallflowerstudio
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