Chicken soup has long held the reputation for being a “good for you” food when you are sick. Trust me, you won’t want to wait until your sick to give our version of this recipe a try!

While it is does have chicken and is packed with veggies, it has a couple of surprise ingredients which give a new spin on a old favorite. Our guests at the Inn are raving about this soup and you will too!

Prep Time: 10 minutes​​ / Cook Time: 20 minutes ​/ Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup bacon, diced

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 1 celery heart celery, dice all ribs

• 1 pkg matchstick sliced carrots (approximately 4 cups)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth (keeps the soup from tasting too salty)

• 1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 teaspoons parsley

• 4 cups cooked shredded chicken

• 1 cup sour cream

• 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish

• 2 cups baby spinach

• green onion, chopped for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat a large pot over medium high heat and cook the diced bacon. Remove the cooked bacon from the pot and set aside.

2. Add the butter, onion, celery, and carrots. Saute the vegetables until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pot and saute for just a minute.

3. Add the chicken broth, ranch dressing packet, pepper, parsley, shredded chicken, sour cream, cream cheese, and cooked bacon. Cook and stir continually until the cream cheese melts into the soup evenly.

4. Add in the cheddar cheese and spinach, cook until the spinach has wilted and the cheese is melted.

5. Serve soup with additional cheddar cheese and chopped green onions. Salt and pepper to taste.