How I get creamy chicken vegetable soup without any cream
Most chicken vegetable soup makes you pick a side. You either get the clear brothy kind that’s good for you but a little thin, or the creamy kind that starts with a cup of heavy cream.
I wanted both, so I kept testing this Chicken Vegetable Soup with the one thing already in my fridge: milk.
Whisk cold milk straight into a hot pot and it curdles. (Ask me how I know.)
But warm the milk first, whisk it with cornstarch until not a single lump is left, and stir it in at the very end? The broth goes silky and coats the back of a spoon, and there’s not a drop of cream in it.
The rest is just good sense. Red potatoes hold their shape instead of dissolving, three dried herbs carry the flavor with tarragon as the one nobody expects, and the zucchini goes in at the very end so it still has a bite.
If you’d rather not stand over the stove, the Instant Pot Chicken Vegetable Soup is this same soup in a fraction of the time. Same slurry at the end.
I made this soup today and everybody loved it! The milk and cornstarch actually made a tremendous difference and all the herbs were wonderful. I also chopped spinach up and put it in there for more green and it was just perfect!
– Susan A.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Fresh vegetables: Onion and celery are the two doing the flavor work, so don’t skip those. Carrots, red potatoes, and zucchini are what this was tested with, but Yukon golds, Russets, or sweet potatoes all work.
- Chicken: Boneless skinless breasts or thighs, whichever you have. Cut them into 4-ounce portions so they cook through in the same time the potatoes take.
- Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth gives you control over the salt. Stock or bone broth make it richer and a little more gelatinous, and water with Better than Bouillon works too.
- Herbs: Thyme, rosemary, and tarragon are the combination, and tarragon is the one that makes people ask what’s in it. Basil and sage are good swaps, or use a blend like this Homemade Italian Seasoning.
- Milk: Whole milk is what I use. Almond or cashew milk both work, and warming it first is the part that matters.
- Cornstarch: Tapioca starch works exactly the same. This is what takes the broth from thin to silky, and there’s more on the technique in how to thicken soup.
How to Make Chicken Vegetable Soup
See the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Start the onion and garlic.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the diced onion for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns translucent, then the garlic for 30 seconds more.
Add the broth and the hard vegetables.
Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release anything stuck there. Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, herbs, paprika, salt, and pepper, and stir.
Start with less salt than you think.
Start with less salt than you think. If your broth isn’t low-sodium, begin at ½ teaspoon and taste at the end. You can always add more, and you can’t take it back out.
Simmer the chicken right in the soup.
Nestle the chicken into the liquid until every piece is covered, then bring it to a boil. Reduce to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Pro Tip: Zucchini goes in for the last 5 minutes only. Any earlier and it turns to mush by the time the potatoes are fork-tender. Five minutes is all it needs.
The Instant Pot I L❤️VE!
Not all pressure cookers are the same. The 6-quart Duo Plus is the one I reach for, since the sauté function does real work before the lid goes on and the controls are simple enough that you don’t need the manual.
Shred the chicken.
Move the chicken to a cutting board and shred it with two forks. It’ll pull apart easily once it’s cooked through.
Whisk in the slurry.
Whisk the warmed milk and cornstarch in a bowl until there’s not a single lump, then stir it into the pot along with the shredded chicken. Top each bowl with fresh parsley.
Pro Tip: Warm the milk, and get the lumps out before it goes in. Cold milk hitting a hot pot is how you end up with a curdled, grainy soup. A whisk and 30 seconds is the whole trick.
FAQs
Yes, and it’s the better way to do it. The chicken poaches gently in the broth while the vegetables cook, which keeps it tender and gives the broth more flavor than adding cooked chicken at the end. Cut it into 4-ounce portions and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until it reaches 165°F. Here’s more on what temperature chicken is done.
Onion, celery, and carrots are the base worth keeping. From there it’s whatever needs using: potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, corn, peas, or a few handfuls of spinach or kale stirred in at the end. Just add the soft ones in the last 5 minutes so they don’t fall apart.
Nine times out of ten it’s salt, not seasoning. Start at ½ teaspoon if you’re using regular-sodium broth, then taste at the very end once the potatoes have soaked some up and adjust from there. A squeeze of lemon right before serving also wakes the whole pot up.
Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days. For freezing, freeze the soup before adding the milk and cornstarch slurry to prevent separation and a grainy texture. Freeze for up to 3 months, thaw in the refrigerator, then add fresh warm milk and cornstarch while reheating. For best results, reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth if the soup is too thick.
Tap stars to rate!
Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe
email this recipe!
Equipment
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 4 stalks celery cut into ½-inch pieces
- 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 pound red potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium zucchinis cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ – 1 ½ teaspoons salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 4-ounce portions
- ½ cup whole milk warmed
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the minced garlic and continue cooking for an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium sweet onion, 3 garlic cloves
- Add the chicken broth, celery, carrots, potatoes, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.5 cups chicken broth, 4 stalks celery, 4 medium carrots, 1 pound red potatoes, ½ teaspoon dried tarragon, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ½ – 1 ½ teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- Add the chicken to the pot, making sure each piece is completely immersed in the liquid. Turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost fork-tender.
- Add the zucchini, cover, and continue simmering for 5 minutes, or until the zucchini is just tender and the chicken is cooked through.2 medium zucchinis
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and shred it using two forks.
- Whisk together the warmed milk and the cornstarch in a medium bowl until no clumps remain. Add this to the pot along with the shredded chicken, and stir.½ cup whole milk, 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Serve soup with fresh parsley, if desired.Fresh flat-leaf parsley
Tap stars to rate!
Video
Notes
- Broth: You can also use 5 cups of water and 5 teaspoons of Better than Bouillon (chicken flavored) for even more flavor.
- Salt: Start at the low end if your broth is not low-sodium, then taste and adjust at the very end once the potatoes have soaked some up.
- Zucchini: Add it in the last 5 minutes only. Any earlier and it goes soft before the potatoes are tender.
- Herbs: Basil and sage are also fantastic additions, or choose a blend like this Homemade Italian Seasoning.
- Rotisserie chicken: Stir in about 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken with the slurry instead of simmering raw chicken, and cook the vegetables until fork-tender on their own.
- Slurry: Warm the milk first and whisk out every lump before it goes in. Here is more on how to thicken soup with a cornstarch slurry.
- Storage: Let leftover soup come to room temperature uncovered, then transfer to an airtight container. It keeps in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze it before the slurry goes in. A soup thickened with milk and cornstarch separates and turns grainy after thawing, and the potatoes soften. Cool the base, freeze up to 3 months, then thaw and whisk in fresh warm milk and cornstarch as you reheat it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with chicken vegetable soup
This is a full dinner on its own, so anything else is a bonus. But something to dunk is never a bad call.
Gluten-Free Cornbread is what I reach for most, and it comes together while the soup simmers.
If you’d rather go the salad route, a Lemon Arugula Salad keeps things bright against all that creamy broth, and a Strawberry Spinach Salad is the sweeter option.
More cozy chicken soups
Soup season shows up and suddenly it’s the only thing I want to cook. These are the ones my readers make on repeat.
I made this soup today and everybody loved it! The milk and cornstarch actually made a tremendous difference in all the herbs were wonderful. I also chopped spinach up and put it in there for more green and it was just perfect! Thank you!
Hi Susan! I love the flavor, as well. Spinach sounds so tasty! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating.