Sundays with Friends: St. Louis Country Chicken Soup with Lynda

Today’s Sundays with Friends comes from a fellow Weight Watchers friend, Lynda. This recipe looks amazing, and it certainly seems like it should be more than 6 points for this serving of soup. *smiles* I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I plan on enjoying it when I make it this Winter. Welcome to Sundays with Friends, Lynda!

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I got this recipe over 20 years ago when I was visiting St. Louis, Missouri, as part of a volunteer leadership team. We went there to assist a large Presbyterian church with their four day renewal event. Every evening, the ladies of the church served a light supper to the team members…this soup was one of those dinners.

I really liked the flavors of the soup they served us, but found it a little ‘thin’ for my liking. I’d never had chicken soup with apples and cloves in it so I started playing with the recipe and found this version to be more to my taste. I haven’t changed the ingredients in the original recipe, just adjusted the amounts…guess playing with your food can pay off!

According to the Weight Watchers Recipe Builder, one serving is 6 points…I add 4-5 saltines and another point.

St. Louis Country Chicken Soup

• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced or diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 small bell pepper, diced (I prefer red or yellow)
• 1 medium leek, diced (white portion only)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 bone-in chicken breasts, roasted, meat diced or pulled apart
• 2 large apples, cored and peeled, then diced (I prefer one tart apple and one sweet apple)
• ¼ C. all purpose flour
• 1 ¼ tsp. curry powder
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/3 C. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 C. diced tomatoes
• 4 C. chicken broth
• 2 ½ C. 1% milk

Sauté carrots, celery, pepper and leeks in olive oil until veggies are softened; stir often. Add chicken and all other ingredients, except parsley and milk.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Uncover; add parsley and simmer 3-4 minutes.

Add milk and simmer just long enough for milk to heat; do not boil.

Makes six servings.