Creamy mushroom chicken soup

With the flu running around my house playing tag with each one of my family members this week has been hard. Not to mention it has been cold and rainy. Nothing is better when you are sick and it's cold and rainy outside then chicken noodle soup. I just didn't want to make just plain old chicken noodle soup so here is my version of a classic revamped. 

INGREDEINTS: 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts,boiled then cut into 1-inch chunks 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced 

1 onion, diced 

3 carrots, peeled and diced 

2 stalks celery, diced 

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 

1/4 cup all-purpose flour 

4 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup half and half

DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside. 

Melt butter in the stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaf and chicken and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes. 

Stir in half and half until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more half and half as needed until desired consistency is reached.