Cream of Chicken Noodle Soup

There was a grand old hotel called the Hotel Utah that was built in 1909.  It was in the second Renaissance style and is on the historic register.  In the basement there was a wonderful restaurant that was quite upscale for the area at the time.  We used to go there with our toddler and eat lunch every few weeks.  Our favorite starter was a delicious, creamy chicken noodle soup.  While we waited for our starters, my husband would take our daughter to look at the fish in the giant carved marble fish pond on the floor against the far wall. 

The hotel and restaurant are no longer there although the building still stands.  The fish pond has resurfaced in a local antique store.  We mourned loss of the soup much more than the hotel.  I tried for some time to replicate that wonderful soup, and I finally feel that I have come close.  Every time I make this for our family, I have wonderful memories of my little children and of times gone by in that elegant restaurant in the basement of that grand hotel.

I give you, Hotel Utah Cream of Chicken Noodle Soup.  You will note that it uses canned Cream of Chicken soup.  I use the can with the red label (you know the one I mean).  I was told by a former employee of the restaurant that this was the secret ingredient.  Now I don't usually use canned soup in my home-made soups but this is the exception, because as soon as I added it the flavor was just right. To make a quick meal, I also used a warm market rotisserie chicken.  I took the meat off and saved the carcass for broth; two meals from one chicken. Try the soup, it's wonderful, quick and filling.  Add a salad or soft, warm piece of bread and you have a meal.  Like most soups, it's even better the second day.

Hotel Utah-Style Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Makes about 2 ½ quarts

2 teaspoons of chicken soup base

3 cups of chicken soup stock

2 Tablespoons of butter or olive oil (or combination of both)

2 cups of chopped carrots

2 cups of chopped celery

¾ cup of chopped onion

2-10 oz. cans of cream of chicken soup

½ cup of whole milk or half-and-half (light cream)

3 Tablespoons of butter

3 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour

2 cups of cooked diced chicken

4 cups of cooked noodles

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the 2 tablespoons of butter in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Add the carrots, celery, and onions; simmer until the vegetables are translucent.

Pour in the stock and soup base and bring to a boil. Add the canned soup and milk.

In a small sauce pan, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter. Stir the flour into the butter, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not let the flour mixture brown. Add the roux to the Dutch oven and stir to thicken the soup. Let it come to a low boil and cook for 3 minutes more.

Add the cooked chicken and noodles. Stir well to distribute.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

This is linked to the Hearth 'n Soul blog hop and Friday Pot luck.  Check out the other contributors posts this week.