Lactose-Free Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Kale and Artichokes

I have always loved creamy soups, even though they are not always the best thing for my waistline.  I have made it my goal in life to make creamy soups that are healthy and won't enlarge me!  Plus, two of my daughters are discovering that they are lactose-intolerant, so that puts another twist on things.  I really came up with a winner here... and it was easy to make.  Here are the ingredients:

Olive Oil

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

1 large sweet onion chopped

4 cloves of garlic chopped

Fresh Thyme

2 boxes of chicken broth

handfuls and handfuls of chopped kale

one handful of spaghetti, broken

½ tsp each salt and pepper

2 cups of lactose-free milk

¼ cup flour

at least 2 cups of pulled chicken (I bought a roasted chicken)

1 cup "Country Creamer" (dairy-free creamer)

1 can artichoke hearts, cut up

I begin by sautéing the carrots, celery, onions and garlic in a small amount of olive oil.  I then add the chopped kale and some fresh thyme sprigs bundled together.   Once the kale has begun to wilt, pour in the chicken broth and let it simmer

I like to partially cook any pasta for soup in a separate pot so it won't absorb too much of my soup broth.  While the pasta is cooking, combine 2 cups of the lactose-free milk with one cup of flour and whisk until blended.   After you have added the pasta to the soup, pour the milk mixture in and increase the heat to medium high.  Stir until thickened, about 8-10 minutes.  You can also add the artichoke hearts, seeing as they don't need to be cooked.

 

Believe it or not, the last ingredient is the chicken.  I like to put it in just before serving so that it will stay nice and tender.  There's nothing worse than eating chicken soup where the chicken is tough and over cooked.  I also add the cup of Country Creamer, just to give it a little richness.  Don't forget to remove the thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper to taste.