Chicken Velvet Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup flour
2 cups light cream, warmed or 2 cups half-and-half
6 cups chicken stock, heated
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken breasts, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt, if desired to taste
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
1 cup fresh parsley, snipped

Preparation

Blend together the butter and flour in a medium (3 qt) saucepan. Add warmed cream and stir until smooth. The soup will begin to thicken as it is heated.
Stir in 2 cups of the hot stock. Over low heat, stir and cook until heated and blended, about 4 minutes.
Add the remaining 4 cups of stock and the chopped chicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat to serving temperature- steaming, but not boiling lest the cream break into unattractive particles. Watch the pot closely to keep from coming to a boil.
Serve in heated tureen and leadle into heated bowls. Garnish with snippets of parsley.