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. I’ve filled it with chicken, celery, carrots, broth, garlic, and plenty of seasonings. Thanks to heavy cream and white wine, every spoonful has the creamiest, silkiest texture. I have to say, the flavor is unbeatable. It’s not an exaggeration to say this rich and creamy chicken soup is one of my favorite recipes of all time.
This post may include affiliate links that earn us a small commission from your purchases at no extra cost to you.
I think 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.
Why We Love This Chicken Soup Recipe
I’ve realized that making chicken soup from scratch is so easier than I once thought! Chicken, broth, veggies, and the best ingredients to season and create the right texture make up the bulk of this homemade recipe. This is my favorite recipe that my Mom makes, I’ve made it countless times for family and friends. Everyone that tries this soup asks for the recipe. It is a standout.
- Creamy. The thing that really makes this the best chicken soup for me is the silky texture. Creamy is always more comforting!
- Homemade. Making soup from scratch is well worth the effort for ultimate flavor.
- Family favorite. This recipe has been a favorite in my family for the longest time, and now it’s been a reader favorite for years too!
Variations
I love to add potatoes to this creamy chicken soup. When wanting to bulk things up a bit, I 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! I also love this soup spooned over a baked potato for a unique and delicious twist.
How to Store and Reheat
I always 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.
I like to reheat on the stovetop, simmering and stirring until fully heated through. I always stir in a bit of heavy cream to revive the creaminess.
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, I pour it into an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze up to 3 months. I also pour portions into resealable bags and freeze flat on a tray. That is a great way to give this meal as a gift to new moms or a family that you want to help with meal planning.
When ready to serve, I thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
I do not recommend freezing if you’ve added potatoes to the soup like I talked about above.
Serving Suggestions
I’ve found that the creamy texture of this easy chicken soup recipe makes it perfect for pairing with breads to help scoop or soak up the broth. I love to serve it with skillet bread, rosemary focaccia, cheddar bay biscuits, or homemade naan.
More Chicken Soup Recipes We Love
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- See all of our Soup Recipes!
5-Star Reviews
- “I found this recipe several years ago and I’ve made this soup several times since. It’s so good!” – Catie
- “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.” – Carolyn
- “This is my favorite soup ever! I’ve made it so many times and every time I make it for someone, they say it tastes like a very rich, exquisite soup like something you would get at a fancy restaurant! It is so amazing!!!” – Kim
Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For the Roux
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ stick)
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
For the Soup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ stick)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 carrots peeled and cut into ⅛-inch slices
- 2 ribs celery cut into ⅛-inch slices
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup dry or semi-dry white wine
- 3½ cups half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 1½ teaspoon herbs de Provence
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric optional
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika optional
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 5 cups cooked chicken cubed or shredded – rotisserie chicken works well (see note)
Optional Garnishes
- Freshly shredded Gruyere cheese
- Chopped fresh 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 vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
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 vegetable oil, 6 carrots, 2 ribs celery, 1 medium yellow onion, 1 clove garlic
- 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 low-sodium 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 bouillon granules, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, 3 dried bay leaves, 1½ teaspoon herbs de Provence, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon ground paprika, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 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. Serve with crusty bread.Freshly shredded Gruyere cheese, Chopped fresh parsley
Video
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 is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Creamy Chicken Soup Step by Step
Make a roux: Heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil and 2 tablespoons of unsalted 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 still whisking, add 1 cup of chicken stock, and whisk vigorously until smooth. Remove the roux from the heat and set it aside.
Sautee vegetables: In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add 6 carrots (peeled and cut into 1/8 inch slices) and 2 stalks of celery (cut into 1/8 inch slices), then sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the diced onions (1 yellow onion) and cook 3 additional minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add 1 clove of minced garlic, and cook 30 seconds (just long enough for the garlic to bloom).
Add liquid and deglaze: Slowly add 1 cup of chicken broth while scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits of veggies. Then add the rest of the broth (2 cups) and 1/4 cup of a dry white wine. Stir in the roux and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often.
Add the rest of the ingredients: Reduce the heat to low and add all other ingredients. 3 1/2 cups of half and half; 2 tablespoons of chicken base granules; 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper; 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley; 3 dried bay leaves; 1 1/2 teaspoons of Herbs de Provence; and 5 cups of cooked chicken (shredded or cubed).
Simmer the soup: Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, then taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Continue to simmer the soup until it thickens to your desired consistency, about 30-45 minutes more.
Serve: Once it’s done, discard the bay leaves, garnish with sprinklings of shredded Gruyere and fresh parsley, and enjoy!
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.
I made this soup tonight and it was excellent. I was worried however that the additional cooking time of the (already cooked) rotisserie chicken would ruin its texture and in fact it did make it a bit mealy. Have you ever added the chicken later, rather than letting it come to a boil and then letting it simmer for 30 more minutes?
Hey Anne, Susie here. I did some internet research and it seems the jury is out on the best time to add cooked chicken to soup. About half the recipes I looked over added it before boiling and half added it 15-20 minutes before serving. I have never had any problem with the chicken becoming mealy, but I’m sure adding it at a later time in the process would work well. Thanks for visiting Cookie Rookie and please let us know if you have any further questions.
I have found the grocery store rotessire chickens are often way over cooked, to the point they are mealy…I always buy a chicken and roast it myself when I need precooked chicken, in fact it is cheaper and tastes so much better!!! Buy a whole chicken, rub it down with olive oil, put in a roasting pan, cover with salt pepper celery salt garlic powder onion powder lemon pepper..bake 1 hour, let rest..then shred…waala! your own not over down mealy over cooked chicken to make any recipe you want, great for soups or chicken salad or salads with chicken on top, etc…..
That is SUCH a good idea. I have never done that but I just might have to try! Thanks for the tip, that is awesome!
Wanted to take a minute and let you know how much our family LOVES this! I’ve made it twice over the past few weeks and they say it’s their very favorite soup!
Susie here. Thank you for taking the time to let us know you love our soup. We are so glad your family loves it. Thank you also for visiting Cookie Rookie and please come back soon.
Hi I’m from australia – please advise substitute for chicken base granules ( stock cubes?) & herbs of prov?
You could def use stock cubes in place of the chicken base granules…and some of your favorite italian herbs in place of herbs of prov. Hope that helps! So glad to have you here!
I just saw your soup on Pinterest. I can’t wait to try it. I love creamy soups. I’m glad someone asked about the white wine. I can’t cook with wine due to health reasons, so I worried I wouldn’t be able to make it. Thank you for replying to the question if it could be omitted.
This was so tasty!!! The only thing I didn’t add was the wine. All I had was a mango strawberry moscato :)
I’ve never used or heard of Herbs of Provence, but it is a great flavor!! We will definitely be making again! The hubs and kids all loved it!
Thanks Jessica, this is Susie here. I’m so glad you loved the soup and really appreciate you stopping by Cookie Rookie.
What would chicken granules be exactly :)
Hey LIz, Susie here. Chicken Granules is the same as chicken bouillon but in granulated form. I use Wyler’s Instant Chicken Granules, but I’m sure many stores have their own brand. It can, usually, be found in the soup aisle at the
grocery store. Thanks for visiting Cookie Rookie and I hope you love the soup.
Hi you guys may have covered this, but do you think it may be possible yo cook all ingredients in the crock pot…minus the cream and roux? Then add those when I return from work, allowing it to simmer and thicken before serving? It looks delicious!
Wow, that is one fabulous soup! A definite keeper! Thank you
Is there a substitute for the white wine? I know the alcohol cooks out, but I won’t use wine in cooking for other reasons…
Hey Martie, Thank you so much for trying our soup. It is delicious with or without the white wine. The white wine does add a little “somethin’, somethin’ ” but you don’t have to add it. Here are a couple of links for substituting other ingredients for white wine. http://www.thekitchn.com/non-alcoholic-cooking-wine-substitutes-184394 and http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol6.htm. Maybe a non-alcoholic white wine might work well?? Good luck and thanks again for stopping by Cookie Rookie.
sounds and looks wonderful….Good Job!!! Will be having this for dinner tonight.
Is the “chicken base granules”….bullion?
Hi Billy, I use Wyler’s Chicken Base Granules but Bullion cubes could be substituted – probably 2 cubes, but to be sure, please read the directions on the product you choose.
There are also other kinds of Chicken Base available in the local grocery stores. I live in a rural town and I found it in Redner’s. I found the Chicken Base to add terrific flavor to other chicken dishes or soups as well. It was worth the $5 for a good size jar as I am using it frequently. The flavor is intense so you don’t need too much. Add a teaspoon to a smaller quantity (other than a big pot of soup) and taste until you find how much you like in that recipe.
I left out the the people herb. Did not know where or how to make that. When does it say to ad the chicken?
1½ t Herbs of Provance (provincial herbs) this I left out not people herb. Sheesh. People is what my spell check put. This is all new to me. This particular ingredient.
Herbs de Provence are commonly found in most grocery stores but in the higher quality herbs, not necessarily the store brand or McCormick’s. It is a combination of several other herbs which give a wonderful flavor to anything with chicken.
I had never heard of Herbs de provence before, until I came across a recipe for Fancy Chicken and Rice, Let me tell you, that stuff is pure gold!! Makes chicken taste like you are eating on a farm in the south of france, with crusty bread and wine and roasted chicken, everyone is laughing and eating and drinking….trust me, go to the spice section in the store buy a jar of herbs de provence…make chicken…join me in heaven! I am sooooo looking forward to it getting cold here in Las Vegas so I can make this soup!!! Yes, it does get cold here and even snows! Collecting soup recipes but yours is first on my list, sounds like a beatuiful bowl of paradise!
YES!!! My absolute favorite. Hope you love the soup!
Hey Ruth, Susie here…The chicken is added along with all the other ingredients; after sauteing the vegetables. Herbs de Provence can be difficult to find. Here is a recipe http://www.food.com/recipe/herbes-de-provence-162668, so if you add a combo of these herbs (or your favorites) the soup will still be delicious. Be sure to taste as you go…better to add a little then add more if needed. Thank you for visiting Cookie Rookie and let us know if you have any other questions.
I’ve just got to chime in here. The herbs are a must! They add such a distinct, different taste that make this soup special. I had a jar because I use them in other recipes, but I found it on the spice aisle at Wal-Mart.
Thanks Donna, I hadn’t check for Herbs de Provence at Wal-mart so I am very happy to know they carry them. I have fallen in love with Penzey’s spices – they have a wonderful selection and always carry herbs and spices that are a little more difficult to find.