Comfort Food - Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I made this soup a ton back in November. Especially after Thanksgiving with all that left over turkey laying around. I had the intention of sharing this recipe a few months ago, but I never got to it. As you know, last November and December were nuts for our little family. I am here today sharing it because it is one of my most favorite things to eat when it is cold out. Both my husband Dan and I adore chicken pot pie! This version here I made because at the time I didn’t have any thickening ingredients to make it that creamy, thick pot pie filling you are used to. Though I ran with it and it came out more like soup than anything and tasted DELICIOUS! It has less cream and no flour. Which FYI doesn’t make it better for you I don’t think, which is why I call this comfort food. This soup is awesome and we’ll be making another batch this week while the weather is chilly.

Below is how I put this soup together. You can swap the chicken for turkey or skip the meat all together! If you want to make this soup fully vegetarian then swap the chicken a few more potatoes. I’d do a mix of gold and sweet potatoes! Also, be sure to use vegetarian stock and vegetable bouillon cubes.

Since it is ‘Pot Pie’ soup I couldn’t skip out on that iconic pastry that typically encases the pot pie. To make life easy I just used store bought pie crust. I measured the top of my bowls to cut out circles. I brushed them with a little egg wash and baked them. I like to serve them on top of the soup like a little hat and we break it up and dip it into our soup.

For other soup ideas you can check out my Creamy Cheddar Potato Soup or Vegetarian Enchilada Soup!

Photos by Lily Ro Photography

What You Need

1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter

1 cup diced yellow onion

1/2 cup diced celery (PS why is everyone drinking celery juice right now?!)

1 teaspoon pepper + small pinch of salt

1 chicken or vegetable bouillon cube

1/2 cup diced carrots

1 pound shredded chicken

4 diced yukon gold potatoes

4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup of half and half or whole milk * You can omit this ingredient if you’d like. Just add 1/2 cup more broth.

1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley

1 package of store bought pie crust.

1 egg to brush onto the pie crust. *Doing this will give it nice crust.

What You Do

-You’ll want to first cook your chicken. In a large pot (the same pot you’ll be cooking your soup in) add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add your chicken to the pot. I like to use boneless + skinless chicken breast here. You can also use boneless + skinless chicken thighs or mix the two together. Just make sure it is no more than a pound. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper and cook the chicken about 4-6 minutes on each side or until fully cooked through. Once the chicken is cooked, place it on a cutting board and use two forks to shred it. Set aside. Don’t rinse the pot! The cooked chicken remains will flavor the soup.

-In the same large pot you cooked your chicken in, on medium heat melt your butter and then add in your onions, celery, salt and pepper, and the bouillon cube. Mix these together and cook until the onions are soft and the bouillon cube has melted into the veggies.

-Add in your diced potatoes. TIP - Be sure when dicing your celery, carrots and potatoes to make them all around the same size. This way they all cook at the same time and everything will be nice and bite sized.

-Now add your broth and half & half. Bring this to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are nearly fork tender.

-Bake your pie crust toppers. Measure your pie crust to sit on top of your serving bowls. Or use cookie cutters to make fun shapes. Bake your pie crust according to the packaging. Crack an egg and whisk it. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg onto each pie crust before baking.

-Once the potatoes are tender, add in your carrots and your chicken. Stir everything together and cook until the carrots are tender.

-I like to finish this soup off by stirring in a hearty handful of chopped fresh parsley. Serve with the baked pie crust atop or on the side. Store the left overs in an air tight container for up to 4 days.