Smoked Chicken, Broccoli, and Black Bean Soup

Smoked Chicken, Broccoli, and Black Bean Soup

½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup diced carrots
½ cup diced onions
½ cup diced celery
1 cup broccoli stems, diced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried sweet basil
¼ cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock, hot
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon Tabasco
1 cup diced smoked chicken (recipe follows)
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup broccoli florets
2 cups heavy cream
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with a small amount of warm water (optional)

In saucepan, add ¼ cup butter. Saute carrots, onion, celery, and broccoli stems for 5 minutes. Add thyme, oregano and basil; sauté 5 minutes more. Add wine and deglaze pan. Add hot chicken stock and reduce heat by 1/3. Add Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, smoked chicken, beans and broccoli florets. Simmer 5 minutes. Add cream, simmer 5 minutes more and season to taste (thicken with cornstarch if desired). Drop in remaining butter, piece by piece, stirring until melted and serve immediately.

Smoked Chicken:
On a covered grill, slightly smoke boneless chicken, cooking to medium rare (about 30 minutes).Do not allow the grill to get too hot.