1 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves minced
pinch-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup flour
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 cups milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness*
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 tsp EACH dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, pepper
Add later:
2-3 cups half and half
1 16 oz. pkg. potato gnocchi**
1 cup Matchstick carrots
Melt butter in olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and sauté 30 seconds. Sprinkle in flour and cook, while stirring, an additional 2 minutes. Turn heat to low and stir in chicken broth. Whisk cornstarch with milk (you can whisk with as little as 1 cup milk, just enough so it dissolves) and add to pot. Add chicken, Dijon, bay leaves and all seasonings. Increase heat to high, cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and keep covered. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally and replacing lid, until chicken is tender enough to shred with a fork. Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred when cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, add half and half to the soup and bring to a simmer. Stir in gnocchi and shredded carrots and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or just until the gnocchi are cooked. Stir in spinach and shredded chicken and heat through, approximately 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I like more salt) and add additional half and half or milk if desired for a less “chunky” soup and warm through. Garnish individual servings with Parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.