Vegetable Chicken and Cheese Soup

I had big plans on making a broccoli and cheese soup this past weekend. I had broccoli in the fridge that needed to be used before it was no good. To my surprise when I went to get the broccoli there was not as much as thought there was… so Plan B… vegetable chicken and cheese soup.

Plan B turned out to be a good thing and maybe even tastier than the broccoli and cheese soup I had my heart set on, this soup is really yummy and I love the extra vegetables that were added.

For a cheese soup it does not have a heavy creamy base, chicken broth lightens up this soup, for a hopefully bit healthier soup. The chicken, vegetables, and cheese really come together for a wonderful soup. It has been perfect for my lunch this week, since the frigid weather has returned once again this week.

Vegetable Chicken and Cheese Soup (Source: adapted from Lemons for Lulu)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 1 1/2 chicken boneless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup diced celery
1 medium potato cut into cubes
6 cups of chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon white pepper or to taste
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups half and half
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. In a Dutch oven heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook pieces until they are no longer pink, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
2. Add the butter to the Dutch oven. When butter is melted stir in the onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes, cook for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are starting to get soft.  Stir in broccoli, broth and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes or vegetables are soft.
3. In a measuring cup, combine half and half and flour, whisking until smooth. Stir mixture into soup. Add shredded cheese and stir until cheese has melted. add in chicken and season with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy.