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.
Creamy Chicken Soup is just one of those feel good, homemade meals that the entire family enjoys. That is why I’m especially fond of hearty soups and learning how to make chicken soup was something that happened early in life. Not only do they incorporate lots of fresh veggies, but they are so comforting and satisfying. It is easy to forget that we still have many cold and wet months ahead of us before the local produce makes its way back and we want to start cooking on the grill again.
Creamy soup recipes have become from favorite. This time of year I love stocking my freezer with prepared meals. I don’t know if it has to do with the possible threat of getting stuck at home because of that once a year snow storm, but it just makes me so happy to cook meals like chicken soup recipes in big batches and store them for another day. This creamy chicken soup is a perfect freezer meal because you can double or triple the batch and then just freeze what you don’t plan on eating that night for another day. Not all soups, especially ones with pasta, freeze that well. This soup, however, does.
How do you make a soup creamy?
- 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.
- Once you start making creamy soup recipes, you’ll never go back! This recipe tells you how to make chicken soup, but the creamy soup part takes it over the top!
How to make creamy chicken soup from scratch?
- I prefer to use chicken thighs in many of my chicken soup recipes because the meat is so flavorful and it shreds really well. 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!
- I use a little white wine to release all of that wonderful flavor and I can definitely taste it in the final soup.
- 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.
- I also continue to use the same pot to cook the chicken, then the vegetables, then the roux which turns into a cream gravy and then eventually the creamy chicken soup. By keeping all the ingredients going in the same pot, you don’t lose any of those wonderful flavors along the way.
Kitchen tools used to make my creamy chicken soup:
Food Processor – I have a big one. Sure it’s heavy and can sometimes be a pain to clean depending on the recipe, but it does the job and it does it well.
Dutch Oven: I don’t take this one camping. It stays in the kitchen. I absolutely love the heavy bottom and lid. You can really get a nice sear on meat and it’s easy to transfer to the oven, if needed.
Stainless Steel Ladle: This one is easy to grip and light weight. Just a few ladles will fill your soup bowl.
Flexible Measuring Cups – My sister and I first found these at a cooking class and we thought they were just the best invention. Any time you are measuring and/or pouring liquid, these are simply the best to have on hand. They make a great gift for your favorite cook, too!
Watch the recipe video for creamy chicken soup below!
Creamy Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 5 T butter divided
- 1 onion minced
- 4 celery stalks diced
- 2 large carrots peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 T flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
Instructions
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In a heavy bottom dutch oven over medium high heat, cook chicken thighs in 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 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.
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Add one tablespoon of the butter to the dutch oven and and set heat to high. Add onions, celery and carrot 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.
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Return the pan to the stove and melt the remaining 4T of butter over medium high heat. Add the garlic and allow to cook for about a minute, then add the flour and stir to combine to make a roux. Allow to cook for a few minutes until fragrant.
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Add the milk and heavy cream to the roux and whisk constantly until thoroughly mixed. Allow to cook while constantly whisking until thickened. Whisk in the chicken broth. Add shredded chicken and cooked vegetables to the broth and stir. Add salt, to taste, and pepper, as desired.
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Serve with a warm crusty bread or some rosemary crackers.
This looks sinfully good. I think I’m going to make it this weekend when it’s supposed to be cold and rainy outside. I think I’ll add some whole kernel down to it also. Chicken corn chowder is my favorite soup. This reminds me of that. Thanks for sharing!!! Yummy
Thanks for a great recipe! While I like heavy cream,I was so glad to have found a soup with milk. Just rich enough,and very flavorful.So, I love the fact that it doesn’t rely on heavy cream to bring the flavor. Also, glad it does not omit honeyed butter ! .
You never said what to do with wine and chicken bits
Hi Ann, I’m super sorry about that! I just corrected the recipe, but you add them back in when you add the broth. Enjoy!
I was trained in a fancy restaurant when I was just a kid and the chef would teach us how to make these amazing soups of all kinds including creamy chicken soup but I have lost memory on all the aspects and have been searching now and then to find one similar, and this is it, no cons of condensed soup like so many others are doing but with real milk and cream! However I do want to ask about potatoes, peas, they were a must when we made this in addition to the carrots, celery, garlic and onion. Also I seem to remember more spices in the soup we were trained on, such as thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. What do you think of adding some spices for additional flavor?
I am always in favor of fresh herbs, so definitely add away! As far as potatoes and peas, I can take them or leave them. I prefer them to be in small enough quantity, however, that they compliment rather than overpower the soup. Enjoy!
Can I use single cream in this recipe, I bought my ingredients thinking single cream would be ok?
Hi Jane, I had to look up what single cream is, and I believe it would work in this soup. Will you let me know how it turns out? Thanks! Krissy
I️ don’t have cream can I️ sub for something else?
Whole milk or half and half would work fine!
Delicious, sweet soup. Made mine with good chicken stock and it was lovely.
What is the substitute for wine? Can i just skip it?
You can use chicken broth or even water.
Krissy,
My Son Evan and I made this soup tonight and followed your recipe to the T! It was wonderful and a new family favorite! My son is Autistic and loves to cook even at 14 years old he is showing a great interest in becoming a Chef! Cooking with my son brings us close together as father and Son. Thank you for this great recipe!
Tim
Thank you, Tim, for the kind review! So glad you and your son enjoyed it!
Can I add noodles to this recipe?
Sure can! I would just precook al dente and add in right before you serve.