Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe

Original Post: https://www.evolvingtable.com/chicken-vegetable-soup/

A white bowl full of a hearty chicken vegetable soup.

5 from 7 votes

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe

A slurry of warm milk and cornstarch is what turns this Chicken Vegetable Soup creamy, no heavy cream anywhere in sight. Tender shredded chicken, red potatoes, carrots, and zucchini simmer with thyme, rosemary, and tarragon until the whole pot tastes like it took all afternoon. One pot, 45 minutes, and leftovers that taste even better tomorrow.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: London Brazil

Equipment

Dutch Oven
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

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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

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.

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