Chicken and Mushroom Soup

This soup is quick to put together with leftover chicken and canned broth (Swanson's All-Natural is my favorite). If you really want to start from scratch, it's fine to use raw chicken and just cook it a little longer. For homemade stock, I've recently become a convert to roasting the chicken bones in the oven, or at least browning the neck in a skillet - it yields a much richer flavor.

Any mushrooms will work in this recipe, but it's especially nice with our locally grown oyster mushrooms. Since celery isn't grown locally, I thought maybe turnips would work as a substitute in the mirepoix; both have an earthy flavor. In any case, the turnips soak up the flavor of whatever you cook them in, and they're delicious here.

2 T. butter
1 large carrot, diced
1/2 large onion or several shallots, diced
1/2 lb. turnips, diced
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 C. dry white wine
1 1/2 C. chicken stock
1/2 lb cooked chicken, sliced
1/2 C. heavy cream or half-and-half
Salt and pepper as needed

Melt butter in a large pot or wide skillet; add onion, celery, and turnips. Cook until soft and slightly browned, then remove from pot. Add mushrooms and cook until nicely browned. Add wine and the vegetable mixture, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Add stock and chicken. Simmer until the flavors blend, about 20 minutes. Add cream and heat until just warmed again. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Serves 4 as a first course, 2 as a meal.