The Best Recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Easy Chicken Pot Pie Soup from scratch!

Chicken pot pie soup recipe is your favorite pot pie filling turned into warm, savory, cozy, aromatic soup topped with pie crust crackers or biscuits!   It’s destined to become a family favorite that’s easier than traditional pot pie without a soggy crust.  This chicken pot pie soup is loaded with juicy chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery and peas swaddled in a creamy, herb-infused broth -without any “cream of” soups.  This recipe is also extremely versatile and pantry friendly – swap in your favorite veggies,  swap the chicken for ground beef or sausage, etc.  This chicken pot pie soup also reheats beautifully for make ahead dinner or lunches!

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Why you’ll love this Recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup

You guys, this chicken pot pie soup is pure comfort in soup form. It will be the soup you CRAVE!  Here’s why you’ll love this chicken pot pie soup recipe: 

• DELICIOUS.  This chicken pot pie soup irresistibly delicious.  Every spoonful is a warm, savory symphony of juicy chicken, buttery potatoes and tender veggies swaddled in complex aromatic creamy broth.  The soup is seasoned to perfection with hand-picked seasonings then creamified with both a roux and half and half so its mega flavorful and mega creamy – winning!
• NO CREAM SOUP. This recipe is made from scratch without any mystery “cream of” canned soups but still emerges lusciously creamy and 100% hypnotic. We make a roux directly in the soup pot at the start of the recipe to give our soup body then make the soup even creamier at the end by whisking half and half with cornstarch which is added directly to the soup.   
• PANTRY FRIENDLY.  The ingredients for this recipe are simple, inexpensive and you probably have almost all of them on hand! I used fresh carrots and celery but you could also use frozen mixed veggies as well.  I’ve also included all sorts of variations, so you can make a version of this with whatever you have on hand.
• VERSATILE.  I’ve loaded this chicken pot pie soup with classic ingredients but everything is negotiable!
• MEAL-IN-ONE.  This chicken pot pie soup recipe is chock full of protein, veggies and starch for a complete meal-in-one all made in one pot! You can skip the sides all together because it is stand-alone worthy or serve it with no-fuss simple green salad.
• MAKE AHEAD.  This chicken pot pie soup can be prepped ahead or you can make it entirely ahead of time because it tastes even better the next day!

Ingredients in Pot Pie Soup

You’ll need the following pantry friendly ingredients to make this chicken pot pie soup recipe: 

• Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken thighs, but you can also use chicken breasts or shortcut shredded rotisserie chicken to make this recipe even easier.  See answers below about using different types of chicken.
• Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. 
• Butter: I prefer using unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in the soup. 
• Onion. One diced yellow onion will do the trick or substitute with 1 teaspoon onion powder. 
• Garlic.  4-6 garlic cloves, depending on your garlic love or substitute with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
• Carrots:  Chop the carrots into about ½ inch chunks – there is wiggle room here so don’t worry too much about it. 
• Celery: Also chop about ½-inch thick.
• Potatoes: Yukon gold or a similar waxy potato will work in this recipe. Avoid using Russet potatoes because they fall apart easily in soups.
• Dried herbs: Dried parsley, basil, oregano, sage, and thyme flavor the soup to taste like chicken pot pie filling!  The sage really adds that special kick, so I don’t recommend skipping it.
• Red pepper flakes: Add a slight kick of heat, which you really can’t taste but rather just cuts through the creamy half and half. 
• Chicken broth: Take care your chicken broth is low sodium otherwise your chicken pot pie soup will be too salty. Using low sodium broth also allows us to use chicken bouillon, which amps up the flavor.
• Chicken bouillon: You can use bouillon powder, bouillon cubes or better than bouillon. Add to the soup without dissolving in liquid first. 
• Half and half: I often don’t keep half and half on hand, but keep heavy cream on hand. If you’re like me, you can substitute the half and half with half cream and half milk. For a healthier alternative, you may substitute the half and half with evaporated milk mixed with 1 additional tablespoon cornstarch.
• All-purpose flour: Helps thicken the soup by creating a roux. You may substitute with gluten free all-purpose flour.
• Cornstarch: Also helps thicken the soup by mixing with half and half; this allows us to use lower calorie half and half as opposed to heavy cream.
• Frozen peas: Only petite frozen peas please – no canned mushy peas or you defeat the purpose of the fresh pop of delightful texture! 

WHAT CHICKEN IS BEST?

I highly recommend chicken thighs (boneless or bone-in) for this chicken pot pie soup recipe. I didn’t always use chicken thighs for my soup recipes, but once I started, there was NO going back. Chicken thighs are dark meat which means they are inherently juicier, richer tasting and produce far more tender chicken than chicken breasts.  They are also harder to overcook and stay tender for days with a more palate pleasing texture, even when reheated for leftovers.

In addition, chicken thighs are browned first which adds an important layer of flavor to the overall soup as all those golden, flavorful bits become part of the broth.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup Easy substitutions

CAN I USE CHICKEN BREASTS?

Absolutely!  You can still use chicken breasts, but because they are leaner than chicken thighs, they will not be as juicy or as flavorful.  If using chicken breasts, I suggest bone-in chicken breasts but boneless will also work. Just make sure to cook them until shreddable tender.

CAN I USE ROTISSERIE CHICKEN?

Yes!  Rotisserie chicken is my second choice to use in this recipe  after chicken thighs.   Rotisserie chicken comes lightly seasoned for an added depth of flavor and is a mix of both light and dark meat.  It also comes perfectly tender and ready to slurp up.

To use rotisserie chicken, shred the chicken, discarding the bones and add about 3 cups shredded chicken to the soup at the end with the peas to warm through.  If using rotisserie chicken, you’ll skip the salt and pepper used in the beginning of the recipe to season the chicken and season to taste at the end of cooking.

CAN I USE LEFTOVER CHICKEN?

Absolutely! Add about 3 cups shredded or chopped leftover chicken to the soup along with the peas.

CAN I USE FRESH HERBS?

You are welcome to use fresh herbs, but you will need three times the number of fresh herbs to dried herbs. Take care to add fresh herbs towards the end of cooking with the peas so they stay fresh and flavorful. You can also use a combination of fresh and dried herbs.

CAN I USE VEGETABLE BROTH INSTEAD?

I do not recommend vegetable broth because it does not have the chicken flavor which is crucial in this chicken pot pie soup recipe.  That doesn’t mean you can’t use vegetable broth, but it does mean the soup will not taste rich and flavorful.  If you do use chicken broth, then you may want to add additional chicken bouillon, but taste as you go because you don’t want to make your soup too salty!

CAN I ADD OTHER VEGETABLES?

Absolutely!  I’ve stuck with the basics, but you can add zucchini, squash, mushrooms etc.  I’ve included all sorts of variations below.

CAN I USE FROZEN VEGETABLES?

Absolutely!  Frozen vegetables are a great shortcut in recipe!  Add the vegetables after you remove the chicken to shred, no need to thaw.  

CAN I MAKE THE SOUP GLUTEN FREE?

Yes!  If you want to make gluten free chicken pot pie soup then use gluten-free flour – the rest of the ingredients are gluten free.

CAN I MAKE THE SOUP VEGAN?

To make vegan “chicken” pot pie soup, omit the chicken, omit the butter, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth, replace the half and half with plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk of your choice whisked with 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch.  You can add mushrooms, tofu or additional veggies in place of the chicken.  

Prepping Chicken Pot Pie Soup in advance

This chicken pot pie soup recipe is very simple but it does require some prep work as far as chopping vegetables. You can save time by: 

• Trimming chicken:  Trim chicken of any excess fat and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Prep mirepoix: The carrots, onions and celery can all be chopped a couple days ahead of time, the night before dinner or just a few hours before cooking then stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Potatoes: can be peeled and chopped 24 ahead of time but they will need to be submerged in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator to prevent them from turning brown (works like a charm).
• Measure Spices: It doesn’t take long to measure out the spices, but you can certainly do it beforehand and store the mix in an airtight bag or container. 

How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Soup

This chicken pot pie soup is quick and easy to make from scratch!  Let’s make some!

STEP 1: SEAR CHICKEN:

• Pat chicken dry with paper towels; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Drying the chicken allows the seasonings to stick. Allowing the chicken time to rest while you prep the veggies helps the seasonings penetrate the chicken.  
• Sear chicken in a large Dutch oven/ soup pot until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate but leave drippings. 
• Searing the chicken results in the Maillard reaction, in which amino acids and reducing sugars produce browning, and as we know, color= flavor!  The delicious brown bits left in the bottom of the pan will be season the entire soup as they permeate the broth.

STEP 2:  SAUTÉ VEGETABLES: 

• Melt some butter and olive oil with any leftover chicken drippings then add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté for 4 minutes scaping up the golden bits on the bottom of the pan.   Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds.

STEP 3:  Add flour 

• Sprinkle in the flour then cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes (it will be thick). Cooking the flour gets rid of the raw flour smell and taste.
• The vegetables will not be completely tender at this point but will soften as they simmer with the soup.

STEP 4:  simmer soup

• Add chicken back to the pot along with the potatoes, bouillon, all seasonings, bay leaf and chicken broth. If you really don’t want to sear your chicken or are using chicken breasts, you can add the raw, chicken on top of the veggies at this point.
• Partially cover the soup, then simmer for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is easy to shred with two forks. If the chicken is tough – simmer on!

STEP 5:  thicken soup

• Once chicken is tender, remove to a cutting board, shred and add back to the pot.
• Whisk cornstarch with half and half until smooth then stir back into the pot. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer until thickened.

STEP 6:  finish soup

• Add peas and warm through, 1-2 minutes. Stir in additional broth or half and half if desired for a less “chunky” soup. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired (I like about ¼ teaspoon pepper and ½ teaspoon salt).

Making this Recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup in the crockpot

To make crockpot chicken pot pie soup, you will use almost all of the same ingredients except omit the butter, olive oil and flour and increase the cornstarch. Please note that crockpot chicken pot pie soup won’t be quite as thick because liquid doesn’t evaporate while cooking like on the stove.  Because of this, you want to consider replacing some or all of the half and half with heavy cream.  

• Add the chicken, onions, vegetables (hold the peas), spices and 7 cups broth to a 6 quart or larger slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours or until potatoes are tender and the chicken easily shreds with two forks.
• When chicken is tender, shred and return to slow cooker along with the peas.
• Whisk the 3 cups half and half with 3 tablespoons cornstarch and stir into the soup in the crockpot.
• Cover and cook on high for 20-30 minutes to thicken.  

Chicken Pot Pie Soup Recipe Tips

• Use chicken thighs: This chicken pot pie soup recipe will work with chicken breasts or chicken thighs, but for best flavor use chicken thighs or shredded rotisserie chicken.  
• Simmer chicken until tender:  Whether using chicken thighs or breasts, check the pieces individually for tenderness when simmering because they may cook unevenly. Be prepared to remove pieces of chicken at different times.
• Rotisserie chicken: Stock shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken portioned into 3-cup freezer bags so you always have chicken ready to add to any soup.
• Don’t burn the bits:  When searing the chicken, you don’t blackened bits, or they will make your soup taste burnt.  If  the chicken is browning too quickly, turn the heat down.
• Customize vegetables: In addition to the mirepoix, you can add whatever veggies you have on hand or mix it up just for fun! Green beans, corn, zucchini, cabbage, spinach, etc. would all be delicious. Just be aware most vegetables only need 10 minutes to cook.
• Consistency: You can make this chicken pot pie soup more or less “chunky” or more or less creamy. For a less chunky soup, simply add additional broth or half and half at the end of cooking. For a thicker soup, add extra cornstarch. 

Best way to thicken this Recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup

This chicken pot pie soup should already be luxuriously thick and creamy due to the flour, half and half and cornstarch, but if you would still like a thicker soup, you can use any of these methods:

• Cornstarch:  This is my preferred method and super easy.  Remove about ¼ cup soup and whisk in 1 -2 tablespoon cornstarch with a fork until smooth then whisk it back into the soup.  Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Repeat if needed.
• Flour:  Flour is half as potent as cornstarch so you will need twice as much. Remove about ½ cup soup, whisk in 2-4 tablespoons flour with a fork until smooth then whisk it back into the soup.  Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Repeat if needed.
• Mash potatoes:  Microwave a few potatoes, mash them and add them to the soup.
• Add creamed corn: Add one can of creamed corn to add corn flavor and thicken the soup.
• Puree soup: Remove 1-2 cups of the soup and puree it in your blender or food processor.  It will add body to the soup while preserving the flavor.
• Puree beans: Add cannellini beans to a blender along with some of the soup. Puree until smooth to create a paste.  Stir back into the soup and warm through.

How to serve this Easy Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Chicken pot pie soup would just be fabulous creamy chicken soup if it wasn’t for the topping!  To elevate the soup to chicken pot pie soup, serve it with biscuits, oyster crackers or pie crust crackers.  Pie crust crackers are exactly what the sound like, crackers made from pie crust!  They definitely are the way to go for the complete pot pie experience, but the other options are tasty too – because sometimes all you want to do is pop a can of biscuits and bake!

• Pie crust crackers:  To make these easy crackers, you can you use this fabulous homemade pie crust recipe or just pick up some store bought pie crust.  To make, roll the crust out onto parchment paper or non slip silicone mat. Lightly brush the pie crust with some melted butter and lightly sprinkle with some  salt. Cut into thick strips.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the strips are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature, then break into pieces.  Now you have pie crust crackers! 
• Homemade biscuits:  Because nothing is better than homemade!  Use your favorite recipe or try my homemade cheddar chive biscuits I made for my traditional pot pie filling.
• Store-bought biscuits:  So easy!  I used Pillsbury Grands in these photos and they were delish.
• Oyster crackers:  Salty, crunchy crackers pack the perfect bite size bursts of flavor and texture in every spoonful. 

What to serve with Pot Pie Soup

We love this cozy chicken pot pie soup with fresh sides such as salad and fresh fruit.  Here are some of our favorites:

• Salad: Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Ranch, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, Apple Salad, Pear Salad, or Green Bean Salad.
• Fruit:  Bright, fresh fruit is always a welcome side to creamy soups. Go as simple as grapes, melon, etc. or you’ll love Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette, Winter Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Poppy Seed Vinaigrette, Tropical Fruit Salad, or Pina Colada Fruit Salad. 

Chicken Pot Pie Soup Easy variations

This chicken pot pie soup is a great springboard to make it your own with different veggies or an entirely new soup with a different protein.  Here are some delicious options to try:

• Protein:  Swap the chicken for Italian sausage, ground beef, ground turkey, rotisserie chicken or ham. If using ham, add it at the end of cooking and heat through. Ham can be quite salty, so reduce the salt in the recipe and add salt to taste.
• Bacon: Cook the thick-cut bacon until crispy then remove from the pot.  Reserve some of the drippings to cook the chicken in. Add the crumbled bacon to the soup at the end of cooking.
• Canned beans: I love the addition of cannellini beans for their slight sweetness, creaminess and meaty texture. 
• Spice it up: Add additional red pepper flakes in the butter for a kick.
• Corn: You can use canned, drained sweet corn or frozen sweet corn – no need to thaw. 
• Mushrooms: Cremini/baby bella mushrooms will have the most flavor.
• Bell peppers: Any color will taste great!  Add them the last 10 minutes of cooking.
• Sweet potatoes: Peel, chop into 1-inch pieces and add with the garlic.
• Butternut squash: Peel, chop into ½-inch pieces and add with the garlic.
• Parsnips: Peel, chop into ½-inch pieces and add with the garlic.
• Broccoli: Chop into bite size pieces and add the last 10 minutes of cooking.
• Zucchini: Slice and quarter zucchini and the last 5 minutes of cooking Slice zucchini on the thick side, about ¼-inch so it doesn’t get too soft.
• Green beans: Fresh green beans taste far superior than canned. Chop into 2-inch pieces and add in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
• Greens: Add spinach or cabbage at the very end of cooking and cover the pot for 1-2 minutes to wilt.

How to store Pot Pie soup

Let soup cool to room temperature, then cover and store in your Dutch oven or transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

How to Reheat Chicken Pot Pie Soup

• Stove: Reheat large batches on the stove over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Microwave: Transfer individual servings to a microwave-safe dish, cover with a microwave-safe lids or paper towel. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir, then continue to microwave for 30-second intervals, if needed.
• Crockpot:  Transfer soup to a crockpot and heat on low for 1-3 hours. The time will depend on how much soup you have remaining.

Freezing Pot Pie Soup

As a general rule of thumb, creamy soups do not freeze well as the texture can become unpleasantly grainy as the dairy and fat separate. You can still freeze the soup with these expectations, or omit the half and half when freezing, then add the half and half to the soup after thawing – then you will have no problem. Alternatively, you can swap the half and half for evaporated milk (see tips below).

To freeze:

1. Cook: Cook the soup according to recipe directions.
2. Cool: Allow soup to cool completely before freezing to preserve the integrity of the ingredients and prevent it from entering the “danger zone.”
3. Package: Transfer soup to an airtight freezer safe container or freezer bag. You can even use sandwich size plastic bags for individual portions. Squeeze out any excess air to prevent freezer burn and label
4. Freeze. Freeze for up to 3 months.
5. Defrost/Reheat. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat in the microwave, crockpot or stove according to aforementioned instructions.

Tips for freezing Easy Chicken Pot Pie Soup

• Leave out the half and half if you plan to freeze, then it will freeze and thaw without becoming grainy. Once thawed, add the half and half mixed with cornstarch to the thawed soup and simmer until thickened.
• Regular (not low-fat) evaporated milk, or heavy cream freeze much better than half and half. The higher the fat content, the better it freezes. If you think you might freeze this chicken pot pie soup, then plan on using either of these alternatives.
• If freezing with half and half, reheat the thawed soup very gently over low heat to help incorporate the cream back into the soup.
• If freezing with half and half, add some fresh cream or softened cream cheese to improve the grainy texture.

tasty sides with chicken pot pie soup

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