Creamy Chicken Mother Soup

There are five "mother" sauces in French cooking that are the base of  literally hundreds of variations of sauces. I consider this soup a Mother Soup. It's a basic cream of chicken soup you could spin a thousand ways by changing up a few things.

Creamy Chicken Mother Soup

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup sweet onions, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped, including leaves

1 cup carrots, diced or shredded

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups low sodium chicken broth 

1 cup water

3 chicken bouillon cubes, low sodium 

1 teaspoon thyme, dried

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (or shredded)

1 cup mushrooms, sliced 

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 can evaporated milk

1 cup milk or half and half

Melt butter over medium heat in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onion, carrots and celery; cook 5-6 minutes until vegetables are softened. Add thyme, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.

Add flour and stir over medium-high heat, making a roux, 3-4 minutes. Add chicken broth, water and bouillon; stir to pick up browned bits on bottom of pan. Bring up to a boil and let thicken, then reduce heat. Add chicken and let simmer 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and peas. Add evaporated milk and half-and-half. Season with S & P.