Keep Warm with Grandma’s Bavarian Chicken Soup Recipe

Growing up, I always remember eating yummy soups whenever we visited my grandma G.J.’s house, especially this Bavarian Chicken Soup Recipe that she was kind enough to give to me. Now, whether this is actually something that would have been eaten in Bavaria, I have no idea—my family is not actually from that region of Germany. But, that’s what G.J. called it, so that’s what I’m sticking with.

This dish is a creamy, very hearty soup that gives you that warm, comforted feeling in your tummy. Perfect for winter—especially since the temperature hasn’t gotten above freezing here for the past week! But, if you are watching your calorie intake, this is also a recipe that’s very easy to lighten up but still tastes great. Check out the original recipe below along with my tips at the bottom on how to make it a little more figure friendly.

Grandma’s Bavarian Chicken Soup Recipe

Ingredients
7 Tbsp butter
7 Tbsp flour
5 cups heated chicken broth
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 cup cooked chicken breast, cubed (just cut into cubes and brown it in a skillet before adding)
1 cup green peas (frozen peas work great)
2 cups egg noodles, cooked

Directions
In a large pot, melt 7 Tbsp butter then stir in 7 Tbsp flour. Cook the roux until it bubbles. With a whisk, gradually stir in 5 cups of heated chicken broth and cook over high heat until thickened and smooth. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, cubed chicken breast, frozen peas, and cooked noodles. Heat soup just to the boiling point but do NOT boil. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped chives if desired.

How to Lighten it Up
To reduce the calories and fat in the soup, use a light margarine such as Smart Balance instead of butter. Substitute Half and Half or whole milk for the heavy cream. And use whole wheat wide noodles for added protein and fiber instead of egg noodles.