It rained yesterday! There was an actual chill in the air! You know what that means…comfort food season! My sister and I are going to take the recipes we all love and make them healthier. I’m starting off by taking a gut-busting food and turning it into a healthy soup. So when it gets a little chilly outside, make my chicken pot pie soup with pie crust croutons…it’ll warm your soul 🙂

 -Tammy

Health tips:  diabetes-friendly, kidney-friendly, kid-friendly

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 3-4 carrots, chopped
• ½ c. frozen peas
• 1 TBS butter
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 3 TBS flour
• 4 c. chicken stock or broth (but if time permits, make Melanie’s chicken stock found here)
• 1 ½ c. original almond milk (not the sweet kind or vanilla flavor)
• 1 small bay leaf
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• Your favorite brand of refrigerated pie crust (I had left-over pie crust dough from my empanada recipe)
• 1 egg and 1 TBS water to make an egg wash

Instructions:

1. Make the pie crust croutons. Pre-heat the oven according to package directions. Roll out the pie dough and use a cookie cutter to make cute-shaped “croutons” (I used stars). Place shapes on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Brush with egg wash mixture and bake. Set the timer for 7 minutes. Check the croutons to see if they are a golden brown color. You might have to bake them for a few more minutes. Mine were done after 9 minutes. Take out and cool.

2. In a big pot or Dutch oven (I love my Rachael Ray Dutch oven found here), melt the butter into the oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, onion, ½ tsp salt and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add chicken stock, garlic powder, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook until veggies are tender.
4. In an airtight container, shake the flour and almond milk together until there are no lumps. Add to soup pot and turn the heat back up to medium-high. Let the mixture come to a boil to thicken. Add peas and pepper and simmer for a few more minutes.
5. Serve in bowls and top with pie crust croutons! Enjoy!