Cream of Chicken Soup

Directions

• Before We Begin

  Better Than Bouillon: This concentrated stock base adds depth that would take a lot of time and prep otherwise. If you don’t have it, you can substitute with 1 chicken bouillon cube, but you’ll need to adjust the salt.
  MSG: Don’t skip this ingredient! It’s what gives the soup that savory, “can’t-stop-eating-it” quality without the artificial taste of store-bought versions. MSG is perfectly safe to eat in spite of what some out dated news reports might say.
  Fresh vs Store Bought Stock: You can use unsalted store-bought stock as your base, we add lots to the pot and reduce it down to make it plenty flavorful. Homemade is obviously the best option, but you will get great results either way. If your homemade chicken stock has salt in it, you will need to salt to taste for this recipe.

• Prepare the Aromatic Stock

  For the Aromatic Chicken Stock
  385g | 1.5 cups unsalted chicken stock
  70g | 1/4 yellow onion, halved
  95g | 1.5 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch chunks
  94g | 2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
  8g | 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  2g | 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  0.5g | 1 bay leaf
  1.5g | 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
  2g | 3/8 tsp kosher salt
  
  Combine unsalted chicken stock, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, and kosher salt in a 2-quart pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a strong simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes to infuse the flavors and reduce the stock some.

• Combine Water and Better Than Bouillon

  For the Bouillon Mixture
  59g | 1/4 cup hot water
  2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon
  
  Heat the water in a small bowl using a microwave for 60 seconds, add in 2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon and whisk until well incorporated with no clumps remaining.

• Make the Roux Base

  For the Roux Base
  55g | 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  36g | 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  
  While the stock simmers, melt the butter in a 3-quart pot over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously until the mixture is smooth and homogenous with no clumps. Cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.

• Add the Bouillon

  Add the bouillon mixture to your roux and whisk. It will start to clump and look almost dough like.

• Strain and Combine

  Set up a fine-mesh strainer over the pot with the roux. Carefully pour 1/4 of the hot stock through the strainer into the roux, whisking constantly until smooth. Add another 1/4 of the stock and whisk until smooth again.
  
  Finally, add all of the remaining stock and gently press out any liquid from the vegetables in the strainer. Whisk and Discard the strained solids.

• Season the Base

  For the Seasoning
  2g | 3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  0.7g | 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  1.5g | 1/2 teaspoon MSG
  
  Once the mixture is smooth and well incorporated, add in the salt, black pepper, and MSG. Stir to combine.

• Add Seasonings and Cream

  Once the mixture comes to a light boil, pour in half the heavy cream and whisk well. Then add the remaining heavy cream and continue whisking until smooth and glossy.

• Simmer and Finish

  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1-3 minutes until the soup is slightly thickened and reaches the desired consistency.