Braised Chicken and Mushroom Soup

Whisk flour, garlic powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Get a plate ready with a paper towel over it in order to place the dredged chicken onto it. Take each chicken thigh and sprinkle salt and pepper over it, then coat it in the flour mixture and put it on the plate. Repeat until all the chicken is covered.

Put 1 tablespoon butter in a Dutch oven type of skillet. Once it has melted, add 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Once that has mixed together, add chicken thighs and cook for 6 minutes on each side. Once cooked, transfer to a place lined with a new paper towels. Do take note that the chicken will not be cooked all the way through. They will continue to cook in the sauce/broth.

Once all the chicken has been cooked, reserve oil and scrapings in the pot and add remaining butter and olive oil over medium heat. Scrape some of the bottom bits into the butter and olive oil. Add leeks and minced garlic. Let that simmer for 2 minutes, then add chicken broth, thyme, half-and-half and bourbon. Increase the heat to medium heat. Add chicken back in and bring the sauce/broth to a light simmer. Cover pot with its lid and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Open up the pot and add sliced and washed baby bella mushrooms and parsley. Sprinkle salt, pepper and a little bit of garlic powder over the mushrooms and then stir them in. Put arrowroot in a small glass container and stir in 2 tablespoons of water until dissolved. Add the arrowroot liquid before you bring it to a simmer again. Stir well and then bring mixture to a simmer and re-cover the pot until mushrooms have cooked all the way through, stirring occasionally.

Once mushrooms are cooked, uncover mixture and start to break apart the chicken. The chicken should be falling apart! Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve in soup bowls and devour it all up! It is even better the next day when all the flavors have melded. This is one of my favorite soups so far this season. Will be a regular!