Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1.1 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup)
• 4 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 3 ounces uncooked vermicelli, broken into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded light processed cheese
• 4 cups (1-inch) cubed cooked chicken breast
• 3 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. 1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.
2. 2. Reduce heat to medium; add canola oil to mushroom mixture, stirring to com-bine. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Gradually add milk and broth, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.
3. 3. Stir pasta into mushroom mixture; cover and cook 10 minutes.
4. 4. Add cheese to mushroom mixture, stirring until cheese melts. Add chicken and remaining ingredients to cheese mixture; cover and cook 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender and soup is thoroughly heated.
5.  
6. Young Chefs can:
7. Measure sliced mushrooms and broccoli
8. Help break vermicelli into pieces
9.  
10. Older Chefs can:
11. Add vermicelli to mushroom mixture with adult supervision
12. Add chicken and broccoli to cheese mixture with adult supervision