Cream of Chicken and Apple Soup

I was asked (told) to post some of my favorite recipes.  So here we go!  This soup was an instant favorite with us.  In addition to having two of my favorite things (onions and apples), it's so delicious! A very nice soup for a rich evening with friends, tucked away in a warm house together while it storms outside... Serve it as a first course or even on its own (be sure to make a double batch!) with lots of tasty bread.

Cream of Chicken and Apple Soup
from the Secrets of Jesuit Soup Making

2 T butter or olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium, tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 T flour
1 tsp salt
1 qt. chicken stock
1 c dry white wine
1 c heavy cream (coconut milk works well, too!)
1 c chicken pieces
white pepper to taste

In a 3-quart pot, saute the onion and apple together in the butter (or oil) until the onion is translucent.  Add flour and salt to the pan and stir to coat the apples and onions.  Add chicken stock and wine and simmer gently for 10 minutes.  When the apples are tender, blend the soup until smooth.*  Add the cream (or coconut milk) and the chicken pieces and heat till just warm enough to serve.  Adjust seasonings as necessary (the wine gives this soup a nice flavor on its own and it doesn't need much salt or pepper).

Serve with a nice bread--buttery breads, like croissants, are a particularly decadent treat!  We used a sturdy rye bread, which was pretty good.


*You can scoop out all the solids and put them in a blender (adding enough liquid from the soup to blend), and then return it to the pot... or! you can use a stick blender--my all-time favorite kitchen gadget!