Homey Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1. 2 quarts chicken stock*

2. 3 stalks celery

3. 2 large carrots

4. 1 teaspoon honey

5. 1 bay leaf

6. 2 thyme sprigs

7. 1 large garlic clove, crushed

8. salt and ground pepper

9. 1/2 cup Roux

10. 1 cup shredded chicken

11. 1/8 cup minced chives

12. 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

13. Potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces.

Preparation:

1. Peel celery stalks with a peeler. Cut each stalk into 1 inch long pieces.

2. Cook celery in a pot of boiling salted water until just tender.

3. Cut carrots lengthwise into quarters and then crosswise into bite size pieces.

4. Put carrots into sauce pan, add honey, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, and pinch of salt and pepper, cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
5. Boil potatoes until soft when pierced with fork.
6. Bring soup base to a simmer and whisk in the roux a little at a time. Simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Add chicken, carrots, celery, potatoes, and chives to the soup and heat through.

Chicken Stock:
1. 2 quarts canned chicken stock
2. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3. 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
4. 1 cup coarsely chopped celery
5. 1 cup coarsely chopped onions
6. 1 cup coarsely chopped leeks
7. Salt

Preparation:
1. Add canned chicken stock to the vegetables and bring to a simmer.
2. Simmer for about 30 minutes, then strain the soup base into another pot and discard the vegetables.