Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Croutons

To me, March means St. Patricks Day celebrations and cheering on the Spartans during March madness. Since working at a grocery store, I've also found out that March is frozen foods month. Frozen foods aren't always seen as the most healthy option, but they can be! Frozen fruits and vegetables are packaged at the peak of freshness, making them a great option this time of year. This week I was craving a nice warm bowl of soup and I wanted to challenge myself to make one using only frozen vegetables. I was very impressed with the flavor of this soup and definitely recommend it for a quick meal :)

                                       

Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Croutons

Serves 4-6

Soup:
2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 cans reduced sodium cream of chicken soup
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups 2% milk
1 bag frozen stew vegetables, thawed
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

Croutons:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Salt
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon paprika

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. In a large saucepan, bring all soup ingredients to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, line a sheetpan with parchment paper or silpat. Roll puff pastry to 1/4" thick. Beat egg and water and brush over the dough.

4. Sprinkle the dough with salt, paprika and parmesan cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares.

Serve soup with fresh croutons.