Creamy Artichoke and Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• ½ lemon
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, or as needed
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup diced tomatoes (Optional)
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 russet potato, diced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup white cooking wine
• 2 fully cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

Step 1

Warm the chicken broth and water in a large pot over medium-high heat. Squeeze in some fresh lemon juice and give it a good stir. Let it cook gently for about five minutes. While that’s going, heat a little oil in a grill pan over medium-high heat. Toss in the red bell pepper and grill it until it softens a bit, around 3 to 5 minutes. Then, transfer the pepper to the pot with the broth.

Step 2

Add the tomatoes, artichokes, potato, carrot, celery, green onions, mushrooms, and garlic to the pot. Turn the heat up to high and bring everything to a boil. Cook until the veggies are tender, about 15 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft, stir in the cream and wine to make it nice and rich.

Step 3

Carefully ladle some of the veggie and broth mixture into a blender—fill it about halfway. Hold the lid down with a potholder and pulse a few times, then blend until smooth. Pour this pureed mixture into another pot and repeat with the rest of the soup until it’s all blended.

Step 4

Finally, pour the pureed soup back into the original pot, add the cooked chicken and a good pinch of black pepper. Warm everything over medium heat, letting it simmer gently for about five minutes until it’s heated through and ready to serve.