Chicken Veloute Soup

Sounds posh, innit? Chicken Veloute is just fancy talk for cream of chicken soup with wine, rosemary and leeks. The creamy part is pretty much the same as how you make southern sausage gravy, except with heavy cream instead of milk. This recipe makes a very rich and velvety soup that's good for about 6 bowls. As with any soup, find someone to send some over to the next day. Sharing is caring, kids. We need more of that in the world.

I'm always on the lookout for new things to do with leeks. I like them in my chicken and dumplings soup (I say as my father rolls in his grave.) However, they always come in a group of 3 that is far too much for my single recipe. This was a recipe I tried to use up some of my leek bounty. Husband loved it, kid loved it, dog loved it... so I guess it's a winner enough to add to the winter soup recipe pile.

I go French with it and do use actual butter and heavy cream. I also add mirepoix, but it's a ghetto version that I make once every two months and store in the freezer in baby squeeze bags- see recipe on the blog. After serious research, I learned that cheap wine is best for cooking. I mean real cheap, like "dig through the cushions for change and add a ripped single or two" cheap. The bottle I used was $4 for 750ml, I went through about half of it.

It go like this, here we go.

Chicken Veloute Soup

1 large chicken breast (about 1#)
1 leek
1 Tbsp Fresh minced rosemary
1.5 cups stupid cheap Sauvignon Blanc
1 bag mirepoix
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 cubes Telma chicken bullion
1.5 cups flour
1 box Chicken bone broth
16 oz heavy whipping cream
1/2 stick butter
one strip of bacon per person (plus one for the dog or whichever cat shows up first)
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Dice small/med and rough then rinse the leek. Pat dry.  Toss with olive oil and roast for 10 mins at 400 degrees on a flat pan. Stir and roast em for another 15 minutes. Set to the side.

Coat chicken in olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Let chicken rest in it's juices for at least 10 minutes then cube chicken into 1/4in nibbly bits and toss back into the drippings.

Cook bacon until crisp. Chop into bits and set to the side.

Pour the bacon grease into the soup pot. Add the butter and let it melt. Squeeze in the mirepoix, crumbled bullion cubes and rosemary. Cook it down stirring occasionally until the mixture turns lightly caramel colored and not so liquidy. Add the flour and stir. Cook the flour mix but don't let it brown. It will suck up all the grease and liquid and become a thick doughy glob. Add the wine and whisk like you've lost your mind. Take a swig out of the bottle and say "To Julia!" The goal is to get rid of the lumps and have something that's about the texture of pancake batter. I use a slotted spoon to dig around and make sure I've gotten all the lumps out. Add in the broth and garlic powder. Stir some more. Once combined and gently bubbling, add the chicken and leeks. Stir until combined and let it cook for another 10 minutes while you clean a bit of this and that. Turn the soup down and add the heavy cream and stir until incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with bacon bits crumbled across the top.