Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup

I had some spaghetti noodles in my pantry that have been staring me in the face for quite some time. I haven't really been in the mood for spaghetti, but I really wanted to get rid of them. Thankfully I found a recipe for a hearty soup that satisfied both my man and myself. The soup is started by making an easy roux, which gives the soup a thick consistency. The broccoli was nice and crisp, which is just how I like it (no thank you to soggy broccoli).

I did make a few changes in order to save calories. The nutritional info below does NOT reflect my changes, so the calories and fat are actually less than noted. I used fat free half-and-half instead of the full fat version like the recipe states. I also used skim milk instead of the 1% noted in the recipe.

This soup is best served right away, but it also makes for great leftovers the next night. It will thicken up when stored in the fridge, but you can add some water or chicken broth to thin it out before reheating.

Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup


Ingredients:
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup presliced mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups 1% milk (I used skim)
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
4 ounces uncooked vermicelli or spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces
2 cups (8-ounces) shredded light Velveeta cheese
4 cups (1-inch) cubed chicken breast
3 cups (8-ounces) small broccoli florets
1 cup half-and-half (I used fat free)
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; saute 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; add butter to mushroom mixture, stirring until butter melts. Sprinkle mushroom mixture with flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gradually add milk and broth, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Add pasta to pan; cook about 10 minutes. Add cheese to pan, and stir until cheese melts. Add chicken and remaining ingredients to pan; cook 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender and soup is thoroughly heated.
Yield: 10 (1 cup) servings

Nutritional Info (per serving): 317 calories; 12.3g fat (6.8g saturated; 2.9g monounsaturated; 0.9g polyunsaturated); 27.5g protein; 23.8g carbs; 1.9g fiber; 74mg cholesterol; 1.6mg iron; 723mg sodium; 179mg calcium

Source: Cooking Light, March 2009