Momma Robichaux's AWESOME Chicken Soup

Warning: there are no pictures in this blog post!!! Boo, I know.. I wasn't prepared for this awesomeness...

So my sweet mom and I are really close, and one of the coolest things about her is how she cooks-- I don't remember the last time she used a recipe. She just throws things together and they ALWAYS turn out INCredible!! No lie. 

Well, she was describing a soup she made the other day and it sounded fantastic! So much so that I'm pretty sure I called her 10 times asking what was in it because I never wrote it down. Shame on me. BUT... If you make this soup, I promise you won't be disappointed-- it is officially me and Bry's absolutely favorite thing that I've cooked in a long time. Start drooling. 

Momma Robichaux's AWESOME Chicken Soup

makes about 8 servings

1/2-3/4 cup flour

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup olive oil

Minced garlic

3 Leeks- chopped

1 bunch of celery- chopped

1 bell pepper- chopped

1 can Rotel tomatoes

Chicken broth

1 lb chicken tenders- cut into pieces

Lots of fresh green beans- cut in half

1 lb of carrots- cut into rounds

Heat the butter and olive oil over medium/high heat in a large soup pot. Stir in flour to make a light roux, until it darkens slightly. Add garlic, leeks, celery, and bell pepper to the pot. Stir together and saute until slightly wilted. Add can of Rotel and cook for a few minutes until juice is absorbed. Add chicken broth and  bring to medium/high heat. Stir in chicken, green beans, and carrots. Cook until chicken is cooked through and carrots/green beans are cooked to your desired tenderness.... Voila!! 

A few notes...

*I was out of all-purpose flour, so I used pastry flour. Don't know if it made a huge difference, but it made a really nice roux.

*Mom doesn't like onions, that's why she used leeks. I'm sure onions would work fine, but trust me-- the leeks were SO good!

*Use a lot of veggies. Literally. As in, the whole celery bunch :) 

*I used original Rotel (aren't you proud of me, friends?? I didn't get Mild!!) and it gave it a bit of a kick. 

*The amount of chicken broth you use depends on how chunky/watery/condensed you want your soup to be. I use chicken bouillon cubes and tend to make the broth stronger than normal. It's your call! 

Thanks for the best soup ever, Mom!!!!! Love you!!!