Prep Time: 1½ Hours
Yields: 6 Servings

Comment:
Nothing denotes healthy eating and great flavor more than a wonderful chicken soup. There are even books written on the simple subject! To give extra flavor and seasonality to the dish, we have added broccoli fresh from the garden. What a wonderful cold weather dish! And remember, fully roasted chicken is available at the local grocery store.

Ingredients:
1 cooked rotisserie chicken, meat cut into ½-inch pieces and bones reserved
3 cups broccoli florets
3 quarts cold water
½ cup butter
½ cup diced onions
½ cup diced celery
½ cup (¼-inch) diced red bell peppers
1 tbsp minced garlic
¾ cup flour
1 cup half and half
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
pinch nutmeg
salt and black pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste
6 tsps grated Parmesan cheese for garnish, divided

Method:
In a large stock pot, place reserved chicken bones in 3 quarts of cold water. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cook 1 hour. Strain and reserve 2½ quarts of stock, discarding bones. In a heavy-bottomed, Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, bell peppers and minced garlic then sauté 3–5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly until a blond roux is achieved. Pour in half and half and 2 quarts of chicken stock. Continue to stir until well blended, adding more stock if necessary to achieve a soup-like consistency. Add lemon zest and nutmeg then cook 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced chicken and cook 10–12 minutes. Add broccoli florets and cook 5–7 minutes or until tender. Season to taste using salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Serve an equal portion of soup in 6 soup bowls and top each with 1 teaspoon of Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty French bread.