Creamy Chicken Soup

Creamy Chicken Soup made with boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced vegetables, and a rich creamy broth is an easy and comforting homemade soup recipe.

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Why this recipe works:

This delicious soup recipe is just one of those feel good, homemade meals that the entire family enjoys. Not only does this homemade soup incorporate lots of fresh vegetables, but it is so comforting and satisfying. 

• Because this soup is made in a dutch oven on the stove top, you get a tasty browned sear on the chicken which adds to the flavor.
• Deglazing the pan with white wine creates an extra rich broth.
• 3 parts milk to 1 part heavy cream mixed with chicken broth is what gives this chicken soup a rich and creamy base.

How to make this recipe:

1. Cook the chicken thighs in a bit of olive oil using a dutch oven over medium high heat. You want them to get browned (photo 1).
2. I use a little white wine to deglaze the pan and release all of that wonderful flavor and I can definitely taste it in the final soup (photo 2). This gets set aside.
3. The onion, celery, and carrots are sauteed in butter (photo 3). While the vegetables are cooking, shred the chicken. Once browned, the vegetables get set aside.
4. Use the same pot to melt more butter and cook the garlic. Then create a roux by adding flour to the butter (photo 4). By keeping all the ingredients going in the same pot, you don’t lose any of those wonderful flavors along the way.
5. Milk and heavy cream are combined with the roux to make a creamy gravy (photo 5). Finally, chicken broth along with the cooked chicken and vegetables are stirred into the soup (photo 6).

Cooking tips:

• I prefer to use chicken thighs in many of my chicken soup recipes because the meat is so flavorful and it shreds really well. You can substitute with chicken breast if you prefer.
• Even though I add a bit of olive oil to my pan, the chicken almost always sticks. Have no fear… the part that sticks to the bottom is the best part! It will all come off when you deglaze with the wine. 
• I prefer to chop all of my veggies by pulsing them in the food processor. Not only does that save me time, but I think having a wide variety of sizes, from minced to chopped, not only enhances the texture of the soup but also the taste.  

The secret to a creamy soup:

• There are two components needed to make a creamy chicken soup: a roux to thicken it and dairy to make it creamy
• Roux is flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces. Roux is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight. My method is always to use one tablespoon of flour per each tablespoon of butter. The flour is added to hot oil on the stove top, blended until smooth, and cooked to the desired level of brownness.
• For the dairy, I typically like to use a mixture of milk and heavy cream. I always will add the dairy at the end of the cooking process once the roux is ready.

Leftover Turkey & Wild Rice Soup. This time of year I also love stocking my freezer with recipes like homemade beef stew and healthy chicken soup. You can never go wrong with an Easy Minestrone Soup either!

Creamy Chicken Soup

Prep20 minutes mins

Cook40 minutes mins

Total1 hour hr

Servings 6 servings

Author Krissy Allori

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Creamy Chicken Soup is so rich, yet it is loaded with veggies and is an easy, healthy, simple chicken soup recipe your entire family will love for dinner.

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Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients 

½x1x2x

• ▢ 1 pound skinless chicken thighs
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup white wine
• ▢ 5 tablespoon butter divided
• ▢ 1 onion minced
• ▢ 4 celery stalks diced
• ▢ 2 large carrots peeled and diced
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 6 tablespoon flour
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups milk
• ▢ 1/2 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 4 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt to taste

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Instructions 

• In a heavy bottom Dutch oven over medium high heat, cook 1 pound skinless chicken thighs in 1 tablespoon olive oil for about 15 minutes, flipping once. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly on a plate. The chicken likely stuck to the pan. Deglaze the pan by adding the 1/2 cup white wine over low heat and scraping the bottom of the pan until all of the cooked bits have been loosened. Transfer the cooked chicken bits in white wine to a separate cup.
• Add one tablespoon of the butter to the Dutch oven and and set heat to high. Add 1 onion, 4 celery stalks and 2 large carrots and allow to cook until slightly golden brown while stirring only occasionally for a total of about 10 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken meat. When vegetables have finished cooking, remove them from the Dutch oven and set them on the same plate as the chicken.
• Return the pan to the stove and melt the remaining 4 tbsp butter over medium high heat. Add 3 cloves garlic and allow to cook for about a minute, then add the 6 tablespoon flour and stir to combine to make a roux. Allow to cook for a few minutes until fragrant.
• Add the 1 1/2 cups milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream to the roux and whisk constantly until thoroughly mixed. Allow to cook while constantly whisking until thickened. Whisk in 4 cups chicken broth. Add shredded chicken and cooked vegetables to the broth and stir. Add about 1 teaspoon salt, to taste, and pepper, as desired.
• Serve with a warm crusty bread or some rosemary crackers.

Notes

• I prefer to use chicken thighs in many of my chicken soup recipes because the meat is so flavorful and it shreds really well. You can substitute with chicken breast if you prefer.
• Even though I add a bit of olive oil to my pan, the chicken almost always sticks. Have no fear… the part that sticks to the bottom is the best part! It will all come off when you deglaze with the wine. 
• I prefer to chop all of my veggies by pulsing them in the food processor. Not only does that save me time, but I think having a wide variety of sizes, from minced to chopped, not only enhances the texture of the soup but also the taste.  

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 374kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 130mg, Sodium: 1184mg, Potassium: 595mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 4220IU, Vitamin C: 14.9mg, Calcium: 127mg, Iron: 1.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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This recipe was originally published in November 2017 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don’t worry – the recipe hasn’t changed!