Creamy chicken soup

Chicken Soup for the Soul...
This soup is creamy, filled with carrots, celery, juicy chicken pieces and fresh thyme. This is delicious! You can make this soup in a snap, or if you want to make your own stock and make this on one of your baking days...the process will warm the house and fill the soul.

printable recipe
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. butter and olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped at an angle
2 celery stalks, cut in half length-wise and then chopped. 
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped

3-4 tbsp. flour
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 cups of either homemade or store-bought chicken stock--you will need 3, 32 oz pkgs. (I am in love with Imagine organic, free range, chicken broth.)
Chicken shredded from a whole small fryer chicken. You can buy a rotisserie chicken for making this soup in a snap!

Directions:
In a medium stock-pot melt the butter and oil together until hot. Add your vegetables, thyme, and bay leaf and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add your flour coating all your vegetables, this is going to aid in thickening your soup. Stir and incorporate all the flour throughout... add your chicken stock. Stir until all incorporated, and bring to a full boil.  Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Add your cream and chicken pieces. 

Your soup is ready when you are. I love to have mine just on the stove-top throughout the day and my family has small bowls of it all day. 

Serve with crusty bread for dunking!