Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I have been meaning to add this recipe for a few weeks. We invited some dear friends of ours over for dinner earlier this month and I wanted to try something new. Our friends were bringing freshly baked bread (so good it would knock your socks off) and I thought that a hearty soup would be a great accompaniment. After several Internet searches, I settled on this recipe by Aaron McCargo Jr. from the Food Network. I did make three substitutions, I used turnips instead of potatoes, I used one packet of Swanson's Chicken Flavor Boost instead of bouillon cubes, and I used chicken broth instead of water. Enjoy!

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced small

2 quarts water

 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbs. bouillon flavoring

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 small white onion (about 1/4 cup)

2 stalks of celery, diced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. cracked black pepper

1 1/2 lbs. frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup heavy cream

pinch of salt

1 refrigerated pie crust

Directions:

Add diced potatoes to a large bowl filled with cold water. Set aside. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil. Add chicken, reduce heat to a simmer and allow to poach; about 8-10 mins. Dice the chicken when cooled. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the celery, cooking until translucent, 2 min. Stir in the flour and whisk until it forms a roux. Add the Italian seasoning and pepper and cook for 3 more minutes. Whisk the roux into the broth and bring back up to a boil. Drain the potatoes. Add the potatoes and the chicken to the broth over low heat. Stir in the frozen vegetables. Place a lid on the pot and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cream and a pinch of sea salt and cook for 5 more minutes. Preheat the oven as directed on the pie crust package. Lay the pie crust on a baking sheet and place into the oven. Cook according to package instructions or until the pie crust is golden brown. When the crust is cooled break it up into pieces. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the pie crust. Makes 6-8 servings.