Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I have no idea what happened to fall, but this happens every year it seems! We go from summer to winter with only a few days of autumn - which may or may not be consecutive! At any rate, Friday was hot. I mean, we all wore short sleeves, for Pete's sake. Saturday, not so much. The kids were outside playing in hats, gloves, and coats! The good news is, it was the perfect day for a bowl of hot soup and some hearty rolls for dinner. Today I'm sharing the soup recipe, which I made up as I went along and is really easy and flavorful! The seasoning blend I used is one my dear friend sent to me from a local spice shop. This was my first time using it and I think it's safe to say this one's a keeper!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

2 chicken breasts, diced
2 teaspoons of your favorite seasoning blend (i.e. Mrs. Dash or lemon-pepper)
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup finely diced carrots
1/2 cup finely diced celery
2 cups finely diced spinach
3 tablespoons flour
1 carton (32 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken stock
1-1/2 cups elbow macaroni (or pasta of your choice)
1/4 cup heavy cream

 In a stew pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken in the seasoning until just cooked through, about 5-6 minutes, depending on how small you diced them. Remove from pot and set aside.  Saute all the veggies together in the butter, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. When the onion begins to look translucent, sprinkle in the flour, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in chicken stock and add the cooked chicken back to the pot. Bring to a boil, then stir in the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until your pasta is al dente. Reduce heat to low; stir in the cream. Check your seasoning, then serve! Yield: 6-8 servings