This Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe is thick, hearty, and packed with tender chicken and plenty of veggies. Serve it with warm, buttered bread for dipping!
author’s note
The Chicken Upgrade I Didn’t Know I Needed
I’ve made this creamy vegetable soup more times than I can count. It’s one of those recipes I come back to every time the weather starts cooling down, so naturally I started wondering how it would be with chicken added.
And I am VERY into how it turned out!
I didn’t want to just stir in some cooked chicken at the end, so I seasoned and seared the chicken right in the soup pot first. Then I pulled it out and cooked the vegetables in all those browned bits left behind. They add a surprising amount of flavor and make the whole soup taste a little deeper and more savory.
It ended up being exactly what I wanted: creamy, hearty, loaded with vegetables, and SO filling. Basically, this is my ideal cold-weather dinner. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!
Ingredients In My Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe
| Ingredient | Let’s Chat About It |
|---|---|
| Chicken breasts & seasonings | Let the chicken get a good sear before flipping so you build up plenty of browned bits for the soup. |
| Mirepoix & garlic | Cook the vegetables until truly tender since they won’t soften much more once the creamy base is added. |
| Butter & flour | Stir the flour into the melted butter for a full minute or two before adding liquid so the soup doesn’t taste floury. |
| Broccoli, corn, & peas | For the best texture in this creamy chicken soup recipe, chop the broccoli very finely so you get veggies in every spoonful instead of large florets. |
| Cheddar & heavy cream | Use sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar for the most flavor, and stir the cheese in with the heat turned off for a smoother soup. |
chelsea’s recipe tips
Make It Easy On Yourself!
My favorite creamy chicken soup recipe shortcuts:
- Buy mirepoix: Many grocery stores sell onion, carrot, and celery already diced together. Or even better, grab a bag of frozen mirepoix!
- Get the cheese grater attachment out: If your food processor has a shredding disk, it can grate two cups of Cheddar in seconds!
- Set the milk out first: Measure your milk before you begin cooking so it loses some of its chill while you prep everything else.
- Thin the chicken breasts: Slice each chicken breast into thinner pieces so they cook quickly and evenly; just a few minutes per side.
What To Serve On The Side
This creamy chicken noodle soup recipe is plenty filling on its own, but here are a few easy sides if you want to round out the meal.
- Crusty bread: My absolute favorite choice for dunking into the creamy broth.
- Garlic bread: A richer option with lots of buttery, garlicky flavor.
- Biscuits or rolls: Great if you want something soft, fluffy, and easy to serve alongside.
- Simple garden salad: A fresh, crisp salad balances out the richness of this soup.
- Roasted vegetables: Try a medley or Brussels sprouts, green beans, or asparagus.
Storage
Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe Leftovers?
Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often, and add a splash of broth or milk to loosen the soup if needed.
What To Serve With Creamy Chicken Soup:
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Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe
This Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe is thick, hearty, and loaded with tender chicken and plenty of veggies. Serve it with warm, crusty buttered bread for the perfect finishing touch.
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium chicken breasts 3/4 to 1 pound
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 3 cups mirepoix 1 cup diced of each: carrots, celery, yellow onion—see note 1
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 3 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk 2% or whole
- 2-1/2 cups frozen broccoli florets thawed and very finely chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 packed cups freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese see note 2
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Fresh parsley or thyme, optional
- Hearty buttered bread optional, for dipping
Instructions
- Remove broccoli from the freezer to begin thawing so it’s easy to chop. Cut chicken breasts in half widthwise to make 4 thinner filets. Use a meat mallet/frying pan/your fist to give each piece a quick pound (not flat; just all the pieces fairly even). Season both sides. (I add 1/4 tsp salt and pepper per side and 1/2 tsp garlic powder and Italian seasoning per side.)
- Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pot. Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken pieces in one layer. Cook about 3–4 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through (160°F/juices run clear). Remove to a plate, tent with foil, and rest for about 5 minutes before thinly slicing, dicing, or shredding with 2 forks.
- Meanwhile, back to the pot (don’t rinse it out!), reduce heat to medium and add in remaining 1 tbsp oil plus 1 tbsp butter. Once butter melts, add onion, celery, and carrot. Season to taste (I add 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper). Sauté, stirring frequently, scraping up the browned bits left by the chicken, until very tender, 6–8 minutes. (These veggies won’t get much more tender, so take time here.)
- Add in minced garlic, chicken bouillon, and remaining 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Add remaining 4 tbsp butter. Stir until melted. Sprinkle the flour evenly over everything. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually add in chicken stock, stirring until smooth, really scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the milk. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir frequently (and continue to scrape the bottom) to keep the base from sticking. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Add frozen broccoli, frozen peas, and frozen corn. Cook 2–4 minutes longer or until veggies are tender and warmed through.
- Once veggies are tender, turn off the heat. Add cheese, a handful at a time, and gently stir through until melted. Mix in the heavy cream. Finally, add the chicken (along with any juices left behind). Stir through just to rewarm. Taste soup and adjust seasoning to preference.
- Serve warm with freshly chopped parsley and hearty warm bread!
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Use a food processor to quickly chop equal amounts of onion, carrot, and celery, or you can get this “mirepoix” mix (already prepped onion, celery, carrots) in the produce or frozen vegetable section of the store.
Note 2: Use sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar (a richer flavor). Shred the cheese fresh; pre-shredded packaged cheese will give the soup a powdery texture and won’t melt as nicely. You can use a food processor to quickly shred cheese! Gently pack cheese into measuring cups to get the right amount.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove over low heat, stirring often. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 686kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 979mg | Potassium: 909mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1467IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 477mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
