Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Cream of Chicken Soup and 30-Minute Rolls

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the earthy smells and aromas seeing and the abundance of harvests dot our countryside with stands and farmers' markets. It seems everywhere we go we see signs for bags of apples, freshly picked corn and pumpkins. Farmers markets are selling jams and pies and homemade fudge, and bundled cornstalks and grapevines to decorate our doorways.

I even saw one local enterprising farmer selling hay and bagged manure for $3.00 a bag.

The green meadow across the road from me is golden and the uncut hay sways in the breezes. In my own yard, my lavender phlox perfumes the air, and the last of my rose buds their valiant final flush before the killing frost.

As the night air and harvest moon usher in the waxing summer sun, there is a new coolness, welcomed but nonetheless foreboding of more frigid weather in the short months ahead. (The cats do not want to even stick their little noses outside; they are content open up one eye, give one long lazy stretch in acknowledgment of our presence, and then curl up again into the late morning.) My attention is on soups and breads to warm our stomachs and our hearts. The heat from the oven warms the kitchen, and its warmth draws us in, inviting us to linger.

The cream of chicken soup was very good. I think the chicken, as cooked according to the recipe, was too dry. It definitely needs less cooking than specified in the directions. The good news is, I absolutely loved the foundation of this soup; this is the soup base I've been looking for to make other chowders such as corn and clam. The onions and potatoes were perfectly flavored by the bacon, the flavors intermingling and blending and fully complimenting each other.

We have certain "go withs" when I make soup; one of them is a nice hot roll. I saw these 30-minute dinner rolls on The Sisters' Cafe, and I could not resist the temptation to have hot dinner rolls without all the rising times. Melanie states in her post that she thought they weren't fluffy enough; I thought the fluff factor was quite satisfactory, grins. (I made two pans of eight rolls, so perhaps mine were a little larger?) Also, even though her recipe didn't specify, I lightly kneaded the dough for several minutes to make a smoother looking dough and added additional flour to roll into balls. I used active yeast for these, and I'm wondering if these might not have been a little better with instant or rapid rise yeast. (They require less rising time than active yeast.) What I did find to be a drawback is the lack of the signature yeasty flavor that is imparted with long risings. I thought these were a tad on the bland side. That would not stop me from making these again, as I think they're terrific in a pinch, though I do have other hot roll recipes that I much greatly prefer when time allows.


Cream of Chicken Soup

3 slices bacon, chopped
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast (about one breast)
2 tablespoons butter
3 large potatoes, chopped
3 large onions, chopped
2 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream
fresh parsley for decoration and color

In a good sized stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, combine the bacon and chicken, and without any added fat, fry for about ten minutes. Stir frequently to ensure that these do not burn or stick to the pan.

Add the butter, potatoes, and onions, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring all the time.

Add the broth and milk; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30-45 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper. Just before serving add the cream and simmer (do not boil) for another 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

I was thinking that this needed another spice to really round out the flavor. Thyme maybe?

37 comments:

  1. Great picture!! This looks like an absolutely irresistible soup. I'm definitely going to try it -- thanks for the recipe!

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  2. I loved your post today. It was very nice!

    The soup is also wonderful. I love creamy soups with bacon. I think thyme would be nice. It's one of my favorite herbs!

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  3. I love having soup and rolls for dinner!!! I'm not ordinarily a big fan of creamy soups, but this is a "must try"!

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  4. Mouthwatering and creamy soup katy....i loved it....rlly feel like having a bowl now....looks so yummy!!!

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  5. Autumn is my very favorite time of year..and definetly a time for soups and hot rolls..I love bacon in cream soups. Katy..I will be trying this soup recipe soon and who can beat 30 min rolls??
    Autumn is just around the corner:)

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  6. This is a perfect comfort meal!! I just love a good soup and a home-made bun makes it all the better. I almost always use thyme in my soups - I love it!

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  7. Great meal! I feel comfortable with this :)

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  8. Wow! Your post made me long for a real autumn day. I probably won't see that for a while here in TX. I miss the four seasons the Intermountain West graced me.

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  9. Keep it warm, I'm comin' over! Absolutely perfect...my favorite time,too. Oh man, I love fall...I'm all eager!! Yes, thyme would be perfect (I always add it to my chicken soups).

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  10. Those rolls fascinate mt. I have to give them a try. You keep encouraging me and I may just pull out a few surprises. Smile

    If you check Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog, you will see another version of Tyler's rocky road brownies. A bit more successful, this time but still with a marshmallow mishap. It does look better but not great. We are getting there.

    I have to try this soup also without the bacon. All your food looks good.

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  11. This certainly warms me to the bone dear friend,.....I am home late from the office and this is making me feel all warm and cozy...teary eyed in fact it feels so much like home! Thanks for sharing such a great combo...yum.

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  12. What a lovely description of the fall!

    This soup sounds completely wonderful! We must be on the same cooking wavelength...I posted about a creamy chicken soup tonight also!

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  13. I've been looking forward to great soups too! I have some cream in the fridge just waiting for a great recipe to try!

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  14. The soup is perfect for fall weather. I love the fall also. Apples and pumpkins and pumpkin patches to visit!

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  15. This is one perfect comfort meal. The way described how fall is arriving in your area is so beautiful.

    We are starting to see slight signs of fall around here.

    I would add some tyme and sage if you think you need a little more flavor.

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  16. Your soup and dinner rolls look wonderful. My favorite addition to the soup would be tarragon. I adore it and think it's perfect with creamed anything. Have a wonderful day.

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  17. Yummm! Thansk for the recommendation of the soup base...if it's you're go-to then it's good enough for me too.

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  18. Love the creamy chicken soup a lot and it fits perfectly with soft rolls.

    Angie's Recipes

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  19. The soup and the rolls are perfect for these changing weather. I can smell the aroma of both the soup and the freshly baked rolls right here. Would love to try this one day.

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  20. This sounds absolutely lovely. Delicious bowl of soup. Thyme, dill?? With that roll, OMG complete bliss.

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  21. This will definitely be one of those perfect autumn meals ... as soon as our heat goes away. The ingredients are luscious and the results so warming. And I'll try the rolls, too please.

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  22. Those rolls look amazing! 30 minutes? count me in!
    I'm not a huge fan of cream of anything soup usually, but yours looks great :)

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  23. I bookmarked this to make when soup season hits..wich should be soon! Thanks for posting it:)

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  24. I love Autumn and I love the foods that go with Autumn; this soup, for example. it is the kind of soup I love. And I think those rolls look just perfect, especially slathered with butter! This is simply a perfect meal!

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  25. Gosh I just LOVE autumn and you reminded me why!! That soup sounds heavenly. My mouth actually just watered :)

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  26. I cant wait for the cooler days to get here so I can whip up some soup and bread! Looks delicious!

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  27. It's been raining for two days here in PA. Thanks to this soothing recipe post, I find comfort in knowing soup season is upon us and welcomed...

    Thanks for this keeper Katy. My bones are thawing already:)

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  28. I love your soup cup! Ok... this soup and rolls looks delicious for dinner tomorrow night as well as your railroad pie! You've put me in a pickle Katy!

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  29. Thyme, tarragon, and sage. All really great ideas. I'm going to try them in that order the next time I make this soup. Thanks everyone for your advice! Slurp!

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  30. Yum! I love cream-based soups. That looks wonderfully creamy. I can just taste those buttered rolls dunked in the soup!

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  31. Katy it all looks excellent especially your rolls. They look like ones even I can manage.
    ~ingrid

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  32. what a delicious meal, and i'm with you, fall is my favorite!

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  33. Thirty minute rolls sound fantastic. Especially for occasions like this, when you're making something for dinner that just cries out for homemade bread and there's not time enough to make your regular favorite. Thanks for sharing the link :)

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  34. I'm so glad soup time is finally here! There's nothing quite like a big bowl of hot goodness and a soft yeasty roll to accompany. I've heard about the 30 minute rolls, too. Even if they weren't as flavorful as you would have liked, I bet they still put a smile on your face!

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  35. What a great combination for a comforting dinner. These look like must-try recipes! Great photos :)

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