Recipe From: Laura
On extra busy days, one of our quick pick-up meals from the
store is Fred Meyers deli Chicken Pot Pie. Num. Num.😋 Kids have grown to love ‘em so the thought
materialized….. I need to make a healthier version sometime. Fast forward to
soup season. And now this crisp fall day presented itself…. Kids playin’
outside in the cool weather had us feelin’ the need to settle in with a
comforting soup. And that’s when I saw
this Chicken Pot Pie SOUP. Genius! And I set to work. A lot of work actually! But girl, here me
out. It was.... Worth. Every.
Minute. This soup went above and beyond
what I expected. Every spoonful a warm, savory symphony of juicy chicken,
buttery potatoes and tender veggies swaddled in an aromatic, luxuriously rich
creamy broth. But it gets even better! 😯😁Homemade cheesy herb biscuits paired with
this soup is. Pure. Heaven!!!. MMMmmmm….. Those buttermilk biscuits were Also
worth every second of my time—TRUST ME!
You’ll never be the same. The best part was dipping them in the soup!!!
There are No words. I have none. [just insert your desired onomatopoeia here].
The kids are still talking about them!
And don’t ask how many I ate, okay!? 😋😉
😊
Well. Worth. it. 🏆🍲
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs OR rotisserie
chicken see notes
salt and pepper
1 large onion, diced
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
pinch -1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes – optional
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups Yukon gold potatoes peeled and chopped into 1/2”
cubes
8 CUPS low sodium chicken broth **I added 8 ounces homemade chicken broth
with gives the soup a richer flavor**
2 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon OR Better Than Bouillons ®
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 tsp EACH dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, dried
sage
1 bay leaf
2 cups half and half or cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup frozen peas, not thawed
Salt and pepper to taste
FOR SERVING (PICK ONE)
Store bought or homemade biscuits HERE! yes, these are the ones you wanna make! :)
Pie crust crackers *see notes*
Oyster crackers or saltines
PLANNING AHEAD TIP --THIS TOOK ME 1 1/2 HRS TO MAKE BOTH THE
SOUP AND BISCUITS, FROM START TO TABLE.
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat 2 Tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large
Dutch oven/soup pot. Season chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper
then sear until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate but leave
drippings.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil over
medium-low heat in the drippings. Once melted, increase heat to medium-high and
add onions, carrots and celery; sauté for 4 minutes scraping up the golden bits
on the bottom of the pan. Add garlic and red pepper and sauté for 30 seconds;
sprinkle in flour then cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes (it will be
thick); don’t let flour stick to the bottom of the pot or it will burn later. You
can add additional oil if needed.
Add chicken back to the pot along with potatoes, bouillon,
all seasonings, bay leaf and chicken broth. Cover the soup to bring to a
simmer, then displace the lid so it’s partially covering the pot, with about a
one-inch opening. Simmer the soup for 12-15 minutes or until the chicken is
tender enough to shred, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn and
replacing the lid.
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.
Add peas very last!
Just enough to warm through. 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 .
LOTS OF TIPS BELOW.......
FOR CROCKPOT CHICKEN POT PIE SOUP:
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 the slow cooker
along with the peas.
Whisk the 3 cups half and half with 3 tablespoons of
cornstarch and stir into the soup in the crockpot.
Cover and cook on high for 20-30 minutes to thicken
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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!
To make these easy crackers: use homemade pie crust or pick it up from store.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 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 at 375 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!
TIPS AND TRICKS
Chicken options: I highly recommend chicken thighs (boneless
or bone-in) or breasts because they are inherently juicier, richer and harder
to overcook, but you may swap them for breasts if you wish. Rotisserie chicken is also fabulous. 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.
Frozen vegetables: Use your favorite vegetables or a mixed
bag of veggies. Add the frozen
vegetables (don’t thaw first) the last 10 minutes of cooking, so after the
chicken has been cooking for 5 minutes or so.
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.
PREP AHEAD
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.
MAKE AHEAD
The flavors of this creamy chicken pot pie soup gets better
the next day so it makes amazing leftovers! Reheat per below instructions.
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT
Reheat: 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
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.
HOW TO FREEZE
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).
Cook: Cook the soup according to recipe directions.
Cool: Allow soup to cool completely before freezing to
preserve the integrity of the ingredients and prevent it from entering the
“danger zone.”
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
Freeze. Freeze for up to 3 months.
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 THIS 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.
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