Alright, so today was one of those days. You look in the fridge, see some bits and bobs. I had this chicken breast, just one, looking a bit lonely. And then, there was this container of leftover quinoa from dinner the other night. I hate wasting food, you know? So, the gears started turning. It’s been a bit chilly too, so something warm, something comforting sounded real good. That’s when it hit me – cream of mushroom soup! But let’s jazz it up, make it a proper meal with that chicken and quinoa.
Getting Started with the Chicken
First thing’s first, I grabbed that chicken breast. Didn’t want to just boil it, that’s boring. So, I chopped it up into small, bite-sized pieces. Nothing too fancy, just rough chunks. Then, I got my trusty old pan out, poured a bit of olive oil in. Once it was warm, I tossed the chicken in. Seasoned it with just a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper. I like to keep things simple. I cooked it until it was nicely browned on all sides and cooked through. Took maybe 5-7 minutes. Then, I scooped the chicken out and set it aside on a plate. Easy does it.
Sautéing the Good Stuff – Mushrooms and Aromatics
Next up, the star of any cream of mushroom soup: the mushrooms! I had a pack of cremini mushrooms, about half a pound, I reckon. Sliced them up, not too thin, not too thick. Then, of course, you need your aromatics. I grabbed a small onion, chopped it up fine. And a couple of cloves of garlic, minced those too. Can’t have a good soup without onion and garlic, right? So, into the same pan the chicken was in – less washing up, that’s my motto – I melted a good knob of butter. About a tablespoon, maybe a bit more. Once that was melted and bubbly, I threw in the onions. Let them cook for a few minutes until they were soft and a bit see-through. Then, in went the minced garlic. Stirred that around for about thirty seconds, just until you could smell it. You gotta be careful not to burn the garlic. After that, I piled in all the sliced mushrooms. At first, it looked like a mountain, but they cook down a lot. I just let them sauté, stirring now and then, until they got all browned and released their liquid. That’s where the deep flavor comes from.
Making it Creamy
Okay, time to build the “creamy” part of the soup. Once the mushrooms were looking good, I sprinkled about two tablespoons of all-purpose flour right over them in the pan. I stirred that around for a minute or so, making sure all the mushrooms got coated and the flour cooked a little. This helps to thicken the soup. Then, I started adding the liquid. I used chicken broth – had some in a carton. I poured it in slowly, a bit at a time, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Used about two cups, I think. Once all the broth was in and it was smooth, I added some milk. About a cup of whole milk, because that’s what I had. You could use cream if you want it richer, but milk does the job just fine for a weeknight thing. I kept stirring and brought it to a gentle simmer. It started to thicken up nicely.
Putting It All Together
Now for the fun part – combining everything! I tipped that cooked chicken breast, along with any juices from the plate, back into the pan with the creamy mushroom sauce. Then, I grabbed that container of leftover quinoa. I think I had about a cup, maybe a cup and a half. In it went! I gave everything a good stir to make sure the chicken and quinoa were all mixed in and coated with the sauce. The quinoa really bulks it up and makes it a substantial meal.
Final Touches and Thoughts
The soup was looking pretty much done, but you always gotta taste and adjust. So, I grabbed a spoon. Needed a little more salt and another good grind of black pepper. Sometimes I like to add a pinch of dried thyme or some fresh parsley if I have it, but I was fresh out today. Still, it was tasting pretty darn good. I let it simmer on very low heat for another five minutes, just for all those flavors to meld together properly. And that was it! Served it up hot. It was a really satisfying soup. The chicken was tender, the mushrooms were flavorful, the sauce was creamy, and that quinoa added a nice texture and made it super filling. Not bad for something whipped up from leftovers, eh? It’s a pretty forgiving recipe, so if you’ve got similar bits hanging around, give it a whirl. It’s definitely a keeper for a chilly day when you want something hearty but not too complicated.
