Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Time for some honesty: I am a liar.  But I vow that in this post you will find nothing but truth!

I don't lie to other people, save for maybe the little white lie every now and then.  

Friend: "Would you like to come to such-and-such event tonight and hang out with such-and-such people?" 

Me: "You know, I am realllllllllllllly tired.  And I have A LOT of homework and studying to do."  (In case you didn't know, those are the top two lies for college students to get out of things.)

In reality, I just want to wear sweat-pants around my apartment and watch horrible (yet irresistible) Lifetime movies online while eating chocolate and peanut-butter.  These are my fall-back excuses.

So what does this have to do with soup?  Well this Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup, a favorite family recipe, is a liar just like me.  But, as my friends and family still love me (I hope) despite my little fudges, you will still love this soup despite it's lie:

"Hey!  Look at me!  I'm a pretty, hearty, made-from-scratch soup that's delicious and nutritious!"  

The little white lie:  This soup starts with condensed soup to make the process a whole lot easier for you, and the best part is, nobody needs to know.

Grab some condensed cheddar cheese soup and your other creamy condensed soup of choice (cream of chicken, cream of potato, cream of broccoli--whichever you lie like.

But first, cook up some chicken and try not to be grossed out by raw chicken flesh like I was.  *This was the first time I ever cooked chicken.  Does the gag-reflex of cutting through that pink, slimy skin get any easier?  Please say YES!*

Next, chop up some veggies.  I like zucchini, carrots, onion, and celery.

Make the house smell like Thanksgiving stuffing by sauteing in butter till tender.

All that's left is to add in your lies condensed soup, some tomato juice or watered down tomato sauce, a can or so of water, and a shake of hot sauce.  

Easily freezable in an airtight container, and easily reheated, you know, for those nights when you need to tell a little lie and stay warm in bed and eat soup.  Crusty bread accompaniment recommended.

So, what's your fall-back little white lie?  Share in comments.

Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Yield: 6-7 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced zucchini

1 cup sliced carrot

1 cup chopped celery

1 small onion, sliced

1 tsp. oregano

2 Tb. butter

1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup

1 can condensed cream soup (cream of chicken, cream of potato, etc.)

1 to 1 1/2 cans of water

3/4 cup tomato juice (or tomato sauce diluted with a little water)

1 1/2 cup cubed cooked white meat chicken

1/2 tsp. hot sauce (or if you don't feel like buying a whole bottle like me, add in a little vinegar and cayenne pepper or chili powder)

Directions

In a large covered pan cook zucchini, carrot, celery, onion, and oregano in butter until tender.

Add in remaining ingredients. Heat, stirring frequently.

Serve immediately, or store in air-tight container in fridge or freezer.  To reheat from the fridge, microwave in a covered bowl for 2-4 minutes, stirring once.