Chicken Tetrazzini Soup

Today's Moving Day. . .for someone I love. . .
It's been a hard journey to this point, but the end is in sight and the Little-Gold-House-On-The-Hill will be 🏡HOME🏡 soon!  Time for a pot of some comfort food for all the helpers as they wrap things up.  I checked the 'fridge with mushrooms in mind.  I bought sliced mushrooms - and we all know they don't stay fresh very long.  I have a mix of 5 different onions, garlic etc. that I chopped up and froze a while ago.  To this I'll add red bell pepper, green onion tops for texture and color, celery, frozen peas, chicken, chicken broth, half and half* ...and... Voila'!  Chicken Tetrazzini Soup!  I have a frozen turkey breast, so I could have gone the more traditional route, but today, the chicken won out!

1½# chicken

½ lg. red pepper

2 dark green celery stalks

2c mixed onion, shallot, garlic

4oz. butter

4T +/- Chicken Better Than Bouillon

a good shake of black and red pepper

1c chopped green onion tops

fresh ground lemon pepper

1# sliced mushrooms

1-2c frozen peas

6c of water

6oz. your favorite dry noodles

1c half and half*

Cut up the chicken and combine it with the chopped vegetables in that group.  Saute' - simmer in a 6 quart pot, covered for 15-20 minutes.  Add the next group of ingredients, stir, when it sizzles, pour in a couple cups of the water.  Bring to a medium simmer and add the pasta.  Add the rest of the water, stir, cover and bring to a slow boil.  Uncover and simmer a couple minutes, stir then turn off the heat cover and refrigerate.  After an hour or two of cooling time, stir in the half and half *(sour cream or cream cheese).  Today I went with sour cream and it was the perfect choice!

Ready to go. . .

Chill a couple hours longer, if possible, to bring out the flavors before heating and serving.  I suspect, since the pasta was cooked in the soup rather than separately, it'll continue to absorb liquid and release starch.  Within a couple days this could be more like a casserole than soup!  Regardless, I just had a little bowl and it's REALLY good, no matter what form it takes.  When reheating, stir gently and only bring the pot to a low simmer so whatever dairy you've added doesn't curdle.

Ahhh, soup at the end of July 🍲 It's a wonderful food for all seasons! . . .Lin