Slow Cooker Cordon Bleu Soup
My son’s school recently created a cookbook and this was the first recipe he asked me to submit.
—Erica Winkel, Ada, MI
Prep: 40 min. + cooling
• Cook: 3 hours Makes: 8 servings
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
¹/₄ tsp. garlic powder
¹/₄ tsp. pepper
4 cups cubed French bread
SOUP
1 small onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
¹/₄ tsp. salt
¹/₄ tsp. pepper
3 cans (14 ¹ /₂ oz. each) reducedsodium chicken broth
¹/₃ cup all-purpose flour
¹/₃ cup water
¹/₄ cup white wine or additional reduced-sodium chicken broth 8 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed 1 block (6 oz.) Swiss cheese, shredded
¹₂ cup shredded cheddar cheese ¹₂ lb. diced rotisserie chicken ¹₂ lb. diced deli ham 1. For croutons, preheat oven to 375°. Mix melted butter, garlic powder and pepper. Add bread cubes; toss to coat. Transfer to a 15x10x1-in. baking pan; bake, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, in 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker, combine next five ingredients; pour in broth. Cook, covered, on low until vegetables are tender, about 2 hours.
3. Increase heat to high. Mix flour and water until smooth; whisk mixture into the slow cooker. Cook until thickened, 30-40 minutes. Stir in wine. Whisk in cheeses until melted. Add chicken and ham; heat through. Serve with croutons.
Per serving: 384 cal., 23g fat (13g sat. fat), 100mg chol., 1112mg sod., 15g carb. (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 29g pro.
Freeze option: Before adding croutons, freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. Freeze the croutons separately. To use, partially thaw soup in the refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth if necessary. While soup heats, thaw croutons at room temperature; sprinkle over soup.