Home > Soups & Stews > Creamy Chicken Soup Creamy Chicken Soup January 2, 2023 | 2 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. One-pot Creamy Chicken Soup is thick, hearty, comforting and downright delicious! We pack this creamy soup with veggies and load in tender chicken–it’s perfect for dunking in some crusty, buttered bread! If you love creamy soup recipes, you’ll enjoy this Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, and this Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup. Try out this Creamy Chicken Soup recipe, which is part of our collection of favorite soup recipes. Click here to see all the recipes in the collection. Creamy Chicken Soup During the cold winter months or a spell of sickness, few things hit the spot like a good chicken soup. And while I love chicken noodle soup, I’m all about switching things up a bit with a few unique recipes. Last year, this Chicken Curry Soup, creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup, and Chicken and Rice Soup were three of our go-to recipes. And this year, I’m all about this Creamy Chicken Soup, loaded with vegetables. It is comfort food at its best! We fill this soup with all kinds of veggies plus tender seasoned chicken. The soup base is deeply savory, perfectly cheesy, and has just the right amount of creamy thickness. VARIATIONS Switch Things Up Try our favorite creamy vegetarian soup–this Creamy Vegetable Soup. Don’t love one of the veggies? Feel free to leave it out and substitute equal parts of that veggie with another one already in the soup (or get creative with your own additions). Avoid adding potatoes (white or sweet), and heartier squashes–they absorb too much of the liquid and change cooking time substantially. Make Creamy Chicken Soup with pasta and spinach. If you’d like, boil some pasta in a separate pot, drain, and stir small handfuls into individual bowls. For spinach, mix in a few handfuls of coarsely chopped spinach right before serving–the spinach only needs a minute or two to wilt down nicely. We add the cooked pasta to individual bowls so that leftovers don’t get soggy from the noodles continuing to absorb the broth. For a thinner soup, add more milk or chicken broth. We prefer this soup to be fairly thick. If you decide to thin it out a bit, make sure to also adjust seasonings for the additional volume. The full recipe is written at the bottom of this post, and below are our top tips for preparing this soup. How To Make Creamy Chicken Soup Dice veggies small and keep them the same size. This not only ensures even cooking (so there aren’t some crisp and some mushy veggies) but also ensures the veggies will cook down quickly. Sauté the veggies thoroughly. To avoid crunchy veggies in the end, make sure to really soften them at the beginning of the cooking time. They don’t soften much more throughout the rest of the preparation. Add fresh herbs. Fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, thyme, or a combination of both add liveliness to this soup. They also help to cut through the thickness and creaminess. Use frozen veggies. We recommend frozen peas, frozen broccoli, and frozen corn (as opposed to canned or fresh) for the best texture and flavor. The timing of this recipe depends on frozen vegetables. Use freshly grated sharp Cheddar so you don’t get a waxy soup. (Pre-grated cheese has a cellulose coating that doesn’t melt as nicely in the soup.) SHORTCUTS Time-saving tips Try fresh mirepoix (a combination of finely chopped onions, celery, and carrots) from the produce section of the grocery store. You can even find it in the frozen vegetable section of the store; this really saves time! Use room-temperature milk. Cold milk, fresh from the fridge, slows down the heating time in this soup. Before starting this soup, I measure the milk and then set it aside to come to room temperature. Slice chicken breasts in half. By slicing the chicken in half widthwise, the chicken cooks so much quicker! It takes only 3-4 minutes per side with the thinner filets. STORAGE Storing Creamy Chicken Soup Freezing: This soup doesn’t freeze very well, because of all the dairy in it. If you want less soup, try halving the recipe. Reheating this soup: We recommend reheating this soup on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently. (Boiling may cause ingredients to separate.) Add a splash of milk or chicken broth if needed to thin. This soup is best enjoyed within 3-5 days. Creamy Chicken Soup FAQs1What is the best technique to make creamy soups?We make this Creamy Chicken Soup thick and creamy by adding a roux (butter + flour) which ensures a nice thick soup. The milk, cheese, and heavy cream also contribute to the creaminess. 2Do you have tips for making creamy soups?The below tips will ensure a nice, thick, and creamy soup: Take time with the roux. Make sure to throughly stir the flour into the butter and then gradually add in the chicken stock. Take your time here because if the roux isn’t done correctly, it won’t end up thickening the soup. Use full-fat dairy products–whole milk and heavy cream will ensure ultimate thickness. Lower fat products will result in a thinner soup. 3What can I add to my chicken soup to make it tastier? Don’t underestimate the power of salt and pepper in soup! Use sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar. Sharpness indicates a more aged cheese that will deliver a richer and more pungent flavor. If you’ve ever noticed your cheesy soups to be lacking flavor, it’s likely because the cheese wasn’t aged (or the soup needed more salt to bring the cheesiness alive!). Season the chicken generously, which will also season the entire soup because of the browned bits left behind. What are browned bits? This refers to caramelized remnants of meat (technical term: fond) that remain in the pan after the meat is cooked. They’re then “re-cooked” in wine/broth/other liquids, helping them be absorbed into the soup and delivering a deeper and richer flavor. 4How do you add richness to chicken soup? Using quality ingredients will add richness to the soup. Achieve richness by seasoning the soup throughout the cooking process instead of just at the end. A good, robust chicken stock or broth adds a lot of richness. 5Can you add milk or cream to soup without it curdling?Yes, absolutely! The key is to use a full-fat dairy like whole milk or heavy cream. The milk fat is an important component to keep the soup from curdling. What To Serve With Creamy Chicken Soup Try a good crusty baguette or buttered artisan bread (like this No-Knead Bread), homemade Dinner Rolls, French Bread, or soup crackers /saltines. Serve with some kind of quick salad; our favorites include Everyday Salad Recipe, Garden Salad, or Winter Salad. This soup pairs beautifully with a really great Grilled Cheese sandwich (for dunking of course!). Add a side dish of fruit, or try this Winter Fruit Salad. More Creamy Soup Recipes Cheeseburger Soup with seasoned beef and potatoes Broccoli Potato Soup with a cheesy, creamy base White Bean and Sausage Soup with spinach Potato Leek Soup with golden potatoes Chicken Gnocchi Soup made in the slow cooker FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Creamy Chicken Soup 5 from 4 votes - Review this recipe One-pot Creamy Chicken Soup is thick, hearty, comforting and downright delicious! We pack this creamy soup with veggies, and load in tender chicken; it's and perfect for dunking in some crusty, buttered bread! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Creamy Chicken Soup 5 from 4 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe One-pot Creamy Chicken Soup is thick, hearty, comforting and downright delicious! We pack this creamy soup with veggies, and load in tender chicken; it's and perfect for dunking in some crusty, buttered bread! Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Soup Cuisine American Keyword Creamy Chicken Soup, Creamy Chicken Soup recipe Prep Time 35 minutes minutes Cook Time 25 minutes minutes Total Time 1 hour hour Servings 6 -8 servings Chelsea Lords Calories 686kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $14.10 Ingredients▢ 2 medium chicken breasts (3/4 to 1 lb)▢ 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder▢ Fine sea 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--Note 1)▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic▢ 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder▢ 3 cups chicken broth▢ 1/3 cup all-purpose white flour▢ 3 cups milk (2% or whole)▢ 2-1/2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed and very finely chopped▢ 1 cup each: frozen corn and frozen peas▢ 2 cups freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese (Note 2)▢ 1/2 cup heavy cream▢ Optional: fresh parsley or thyme, crusty, buttered warm bread for dippingUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsSEASON CHICKEN: Remove broccoli from the freezer to begin thawing so it's easy to chop. Cut chicken breasts in half widthwise to make four thinner filets. Use a meat mallet/frying pan/your fist to give each piece a quick pound (Don't flatten chicken; we just want all the pieces fairly even in width). Season both sides. (I add 1/4 teaspoon of salt & pepper per side and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and Italian seasoning per side.) COOK CHICKEN: Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pot. As soon as the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken pieces in one layer. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through (registers 160 degrees/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.VEGGIES: 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 is melted, add in onion, celery, carrot. Season to taste (I add 3/4 tsp salt & 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.) SEASONINGS: Add in minced garlic, chicken bouillon, and remaining 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Stir for 30 seconds.THICKEN: Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Stir until melted. Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour evenly over everything. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually add in the 3 cups chicken stock, stirring until smooth, taking time to really scrape the bottom of the pot. Add in 3 cups milk. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir frequently (and continue to scrape the bottom well) to keep the base from sticking. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Add in frozen broccoli, frozen peas, and frozen corn. Cook 2-4 minutes longer or until veggies are tender and warmed through. FINISH: Once veggies are tender, turn off the heat. Add in the 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 personal preference. SERVE: Serve warm with freshly chopped parsley or thyme and crusty warm bread! Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Mirepoix: Use a food processor to quickly chop equal amounts of onion, carrot, and celery or you can buy this mix labeled "mirepoix" (already prepped onion, celery, carrots) at a lot of stores in the produce section or frozen vegetable section of the store. Note 2: Cheddar cheese: Use sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar (which indicates a more aged cheese that will deliver a richer and more pungent flavor). Grate the cheese fresh; already-grated packaged cheese will give the soup a powdery texture and won't melt as nicely. You can use a food processor to quickly grate cheese! Gently pack the cheese into measuring cups to get the right amount. Nutrition FactsServing: 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 We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
A new family favorite. Thanks for sharing, looking forward to trying more and enjoying “soup month”. Reply
