Chicken Soup is a comfort food classic, so this creamy chicken soup is one of my Mom’s recipes that I just had to learn. Filled with chicken, celery, carrots, broth, garlic, and plenty of seasonings, the flavor is unbeatable. And thanks to heavy cream and white wine, every spoonful has the creamiest, silkiest texture. This is truly the best chicken soup recipe ever, one that our family can’t get enough of, and I hope your family loves it too!
What’s in this Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe?
Making chicken soup from scratch is easier than you think! Chicken, broth, veggies, and the right ingredients to season and create a creamy texture make up the bulk of this homemade recipe.
- Chicken Broth: This savory and flavorful liquid forms the base of the soup. I always go for a low-sodium broth.
- Veggies: Carrots and celery add texture and healthy nutrients to the soup.
- Onion: Diced onion adds savoriness.
- Garlic: This powerful aromatic is a must for a tasty soup.
- White Wine: Use a dry or semi-dry white wine to fill out the liquid base.
- Half and Half: This adds that beautiful creaminess to this chicken soup recipe.
- Chicken Base Granules: Also called chicken bouillon granules, this powdered seasoning mix adds a kick of flavor.
- Roux: Butter, oil, flour, and chicken stock make a roux that helps to thicken the soup base and create the right consistency.
- Chicken: Use cooked chicken–shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken both work great.
- Seasonings: Black pepper, parsley, bay leaves, and herbs de provence finish off the flavoring.
- Butter & Oil: These fats are used to saute the veggies and cook the aromatics.
Pro Tip: To add even more flavor, add ½ teaspoon turmeric, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon paprika.
Can I add potatoes to this chicken soup recipe?
Potatoes make a great addition to this creamy chicken soup. Bake or steam a couple of Yukon Gold potatoes until tender, chop them into 1” cubes, and add them to the soup right before serving!
A roux is a simple mixture that combines equal parts flour and fat (like butter or oil) and is briefly cooked. This mixture is used to thicken liquids, like soups or sauces.
Use chicken that has already been fully cooked. A rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, shredded chicken, or cubed chicken all work fine in this recipe. If you are cooking something fresh for this recipe, try this pan-seared chicken breast.
We use a roux to thicken the soup base. If the soup doesn’t thicken to your liking, add 2 tablespoons cornstarch to ¼ cup cold milk/cream, stir, then add it to the soup. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, stir often. Reduce heat to LOW and simmer until it reaches your desired thickness.
Half and half is my secret ingredient to make the creamiest chicken soup recipe.
Let the soup simmer anywhere from 45-60 minutes, until it reaches your desired thickness and consistency.
How to Store and Reheat
Let homemade chicken soup cool to room temperature before storing. Pour it into an airtight container, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat on the stovetop, simmering and stirring until fully heated through.
How to Freeze Chicken Soup
This creamy chicken soup recipe actually freezes really well, so add it to your list of freezer meals! After it has cooled, pour it into an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze up to 3 months. You can also pour portions into resealable bags and freeze flat on a tray.
Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
If you added potatoes to your chicken soup, I don’t recommend freezing it.
Serving Suggestions
The creamy texture of this easy chicken soup recipe makes it perfect for pairing with breads to help scoop or soak up the broth. Serve it with skillet bread, rosemary focaccia, cheddar bay biscuits, or homemade naan.
If you didn’t add potatoes into your soup, try serving warm bowls of this recipe with classic baked potatoes, roasted potatoes, or Air Fryer potatoes.
Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For the Roux:
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup reduced-salt chicken stock
For the Soup:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 6 carrots peeled and cut into 1/8” slices
- 2 celery stalks cut into 1/8” slices
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 3 cups reduced-salt chicken broth
- ¼ cup dry or semi-dry white wine
- 3½ cups half and half
- 2 tablespoons chicken base granules
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 1½ teaspoon Herbs de Provence
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric optional
- ½ teaspoon paprika optional
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 5 cups cooked chicken cubed or shredded – rotisserie chicken works well (see note)
Optional Garnishes
- Shredded Gruyere cheese and chopped parsley
Instructions
For the Roux:
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan then sprinkle the flour on top. Whisk quickly until well combined. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the roux turns light golden brown. Slowly, while whisking, add 1-cup chicken stock to the roux and whisk vigorously until smooth. Remove the roux from the heat and set it aside while combining other ingredients.2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 cup reduced-salt chicken stock
For the Soup:
- In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil over Med-High heat. Add the carrots and celery, sauté 5 minutes; stir occasionally. Add the diced onions and cook 3 additional minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds – just long enough for the garlic to bloom.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons oil, 6 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 medium yellow onion, 1 garlic clove
- Slowly add 1 cup of broth while scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze the pan. Add the rest of the broth and the wine, the roux and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir often..3 cups reduced-salt chicken broth, ¼ cup dry or semi-dry white wine
- Reduce the heat to low and add all other ingredients except the garnishes.3½ cups half and half, 2 tablespoons chicken base granules, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, 3 dried bay leaves, 1½ teaspoon Herbs de Provence, 5 cups cooked chicken
- Simmer 15 minutes then taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. This is the time to add salt or pepper, if desired. Continue to simmer the soup until it thickens, about 30-45 minutes more, or to the desired consistency.
- Discard the bay leaves.
- Garnish with sprinklings of shredded Gruyere and fresh parsley.Shredded Gruyere cheese and chopped parsley
- Serve with crusty bread.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Creamy Chicken Soup is delicious served over baked potatoes.
- A variation: Potatoes are delicious added to this soup. I like to bake or steam a couple of Yukon Gold potatoes until tender, chop them into 1” cubes and add to the soup right before serving.
- If the soup doesn’t thicken to your liking, add 2 tablespoons cornstarch to ¼ cup cold milk/cream, stir and add it to the soup. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, stir often. Reduce heat to LOW and simmer until desired thickness.
- Creamy Chicken Soup freezes well. It will keep up to 3 months. Be sure no potatoes are added before freezing.
- We love to use shredded rotisserie chicken in this soup. It makes things quick and easy. Do not use smoked rotisserie chicken because it will change the overall taste significantly.
Nutrition Information
Good Day
It sounds delicious and we plan to make this soup for a church event.
For how many people is this recipe meant?
Hi, this recipe comfortably serves 8!
Great soup. Great with some french bread with butter.
Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Jason!
I am going to make a strong suggestion that the turmeric and Paprika be sautéed with the vegetables rather than added in with liquid. This will permit the rawness be cooked out. Very rich and delicious otherwise.
This soup is fantastic! We’ve already made it three times. I was a bit confused why the roux calls for stock while the soup calls for broth but we made it once with broth in both and it wasn’t quite as good so from now on I’ll use both like the recipe says.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Andrea!
Oh my goodness! This is the best soup in the world! I served it on a cold wintry night with crusty bread and it hit the spot. Didn’t have Gruyere cheese so omitted it but can’t wait to try it next time! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear you loved it, Carolyn!
This soup is wonderful. I was hesitant to spend so much money buying all the herbs and seasoning but as it turns out we’ll be making this soup often.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Andrea!
I made this for supper tonight and it was great. I did use homemade stock but other than that I kept the recipe the same. Thanks for sharing this and for the negative Nancy’s just tweak it to fit your taste, just like this blogger did.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Lisa!!
Hi, I’ve made this in the past and always come back to it because it is so good, but wasn’t there another spice or herb in the recipe before? Paprika? I could be wrong but I swear there was something else optional but I always added it. Just trying to remember what it was so I can make it the same as I always have!
Hi Samantha, I have not changed the recipe! There are a few optional spices, including turmeric, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Hope this helps!
This turned out amazing! thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jane!
Well I hope you’re sitting down…. Definitely not the best chicken soup I’ve ever eaten. I was curious about why chicken bouillon AND broth. Figured it out. This soup is bland. Added all the optional ingredients and had to add salt to improve the flavor. Minimally thick/creamy. Definitely won’t make again. Sorry!
I’m sorry this recipe wasn’t to your taste, Nancy!