How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Soup – A Cozy Real Food Recipe
This is the classic chicken pot pie—comforting, hearty, and now in a soup bowl. It’s made simple for busy families like mine and yours: easy to prep, packed with protein and veggies, and full of real-food flavor. In this post, you’ll learn how to make it step by step, how to thicken it naturally, how to freeze it, and how to cook it either on the stovetop or in a crock pot. Let’s dive in!
What Is Chicken Pot Pie Soup?
It is a creamy chicken soup packed with tender vegetables, herbs, and that rich, homestyle flavor you love in classic chicken pot pie. The best part? You get all the cozy comfort without the extra step of making a crust—perfect if pastry isn’t your thing. With chicken, veggies, and potatoes all in one pot, it’s a wholesome, satisfying meal for busy nights.
Ingredients
- You’ll also need 2 cloves of fresh garlic which I forgot to add in the photo above!
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Soup (Step-by-Step)
Step 1
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan and sauté the cubed chicken until it’s cooked through and lightly golden. Be careful not to crowd the pan; work in batches if needed (I always do). Season well with salt and pepper, then set the chicken aside while you prepare the vegetables.
Step 2
In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt th other 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté the onions and celery until they’re soft and fragrant. Season generously with salt and pepper to build a good base of flavor.
Step 3
Add the minced garlic along with the onion powder, garlic powder, and turmeric. Sauté for another minute or two, stirring often, until everything smells rich and fragrant.
Step 4
Sprinkle in the flour and stir well to coat the vegetables. Let it cook for about a minute, stirring often so it doesn’t catch or burn.
Step 5
Next, deglaze the pot with about ½ cup of chicken stock. Pour it in slowly while stirring with a wooden spoon (or whisk) to loosen any browned bits from the bottom and help the flour blend smoothly into the liquid.
Step 6
Blend the soup base with an immersion blender. This step isn’t strictly necessary, but it gives the soup a lovely, creamy texture. You can blend just part of it if you prefer some texture left in. My kids aren’t fans of visible onions, so I always blend mine smooth.
Step 7
Once the soup base is blended, add the carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, and the remaining chicken stock. Bring everything to a gentle simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
Step 8
Once the vegetables are tender, remove the bay leaf. Stir in the cooked chicken, peas, and cream, then let the soup simmer gently for a few minutes until everything is warmed through and creamy.
Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with a little fresh parsley or chives before serving.
What to Serve With Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Sourdough bread cheese toasties
- Simple green salad
- Flaky sourdough biscuits
- Homemade pizza (my kids’ favorite way to eat any soup is with a slice of pizza)
Crock Pot Version
This slow cooker version brings you the same creamy, comforting Chicken Pot Pie Soup with even less hands-on time. It’s perfect for busy days when you want a nourishing, homemade meal ready by dinnertime.
- In a frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté the cubed chicken until cooked through. Don’t overcrowd the pan; cook in batches if needed. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to the crock pot.
- In the same pan, melt a little more butter and sauté the onions and celery until softened. Season with salt, then add the minced garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, and turmeric. Cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir for about a minute to cook it through.
- Pour in about ½ cup of chicken stock, stirring to deglaze the pan and loosen any browned bits.
- Blend this mixture with an immersion blender (or in a regular blender) until smooth, then pour it into the crock pot.
- Add the carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, and the remaining stock. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on Low for 6–7 hours or High for 3–4 hours, until the vegetables are tender.
- Remove the bay leaf, then stir in the cooked chicken, peas, and cream. Cover again and let the soup warm through on Low for about 10–15 minutes.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley or chives before serving.
Tips & Secrets to Flavorful Soup
- Sauté for flavor: Cook onions and celery until golden for a rich base.
- Season gradually: Add salt in layers—during sautéing, when adding veggies, and again to taste before serving.
- Use homemade broth: It adds a deeper, more nourishing flavor than store-bought.
- Add crème fraîche: This gives the soup a creamy texture and extra depth.
- Let it rest: A short rest before serving lets the flavors come together beautifully.
How to Store, Freeze & Reheat
- This pot pie soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- For longer storage you can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months. The crème fraîche can separate a little when the soup is frozen – just give it a good stir when reheating and it should mix in properly again. Or you could freeze it without the cream and add in the cream once you are ready to serve it.
- To reheat, warm it slowly on the stove, stirring from time to time.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use leftover chicken or turkey in this soup?
Yes, instead of the 3 cups raw boneless chicken you can use 2 – 2 1/4 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey.
How can I make it dairy-free?
Use coconut oil or tallow instead of butter to sauté the vegetables, and leave out the cream or crème fraîche. Thanks to the flour and blended aromatics, the soup keeps a naturally creamy texture without needing any dairy products.
Can I make it ahead for meal prep?
Yes, you can make it a day ahead of time. You can also freeze it in portions for an easy meal prep.
Final Thoughts
Soups are a big part of my cold-weather meal rotation, and this chicken pot pie soup is the very essence of warmth and nourishment on chilly winter days. Made from scratch with real-food ingredients, it’s the kind of comfort you can feel good about serving your family. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below! And don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter so you’ll be the first to know when I share more cozy winter comfort food recipes—I have many planned for the coming months.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Equipment
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter, divided
- 3 cups cubed raw chicken breast (or used boneless thigh meat)
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 2 minced cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- a pinch of turmeric (for color), optional
- 2½ tsp unrefined salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp flour
- 4 cups chicken stock, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced potatoes
- 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
- ¼ cup crème fraîche or thick cream
To garnish
- ⅓ cup fresh chopped parsley or chives
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Sauté cubed chicken until cooked through. Don’t overcrowd the pan; cook in batches if needed. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter and sauté onions and celery until softened. Season with salt.
- Stir in minced garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, and turmeric. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute to cook it through.
- Slowly pour in ½ cup of chicken stock, stirring or whisking to loosen browned bits and blend in the flour.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup base until smooth (or partially smooth, if you prefer some texture).
- Add carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, and remaining stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Remove the bay leaf. Stir in cooked chicken, peas, and cream. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until everything is heated through.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley or chives.
