Pin This chicken pot pie soup transforms a classic comfort dish into a spoonable delight that delivers all the flavors you love without the fuss of making a traditional pie. The rich, velvety broth cradles tender chunks of chicken and colorful vegetables, while freshly baked biscuits serve as the perfect dipping companions.
I first created this recipe during a particularly cold winter when my family was craving something warming but I wanted to avoid the time commitment of rolling out pie dough. The moment my children dipped those first biscuits into the creamy soup, a new family tradition was born.
Ingredients
- For the Soup: Butter and olive oil Create a rich base with balanced flavor
- Yellow onion, carrots, and celery: The classic mirepoix that builds foundational flavor
- Garlic: Fresh minced cloves provide aromatic depth
- All purpose flour: Creates the perfect thickening roux
- Low sodium chicken broth: Choose quality broth as it forms the soup base
- Russet potatoes: Their starchy quality helps thicken the soup naturally
- Cooked chicken breast: Rotisserie chicken works beautifully for convenience
- Frozen peas and corn: Adds color and sweetness without extra prep
- Heavy cream: Creates that signature velvety texture
- Dried herbs: Thyme and parsley provide classic pot pie flavor notes
- For the Biscuits: All purpose flour Look for unbleached for best flavor
- Baking powder and soda: These leavening agents ensure fluffy biscuits
- Cold butter: The key to flaky layers use very cold butter
- Buttermilk: Creates tenderness and adds subtle tanginess
Instructions
- Prepare Your Base:
- Heat butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven until the butter melts completely. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery, cooking them until they begin to soften but not brown, about 5 minutes. This aromatic foundation will infuse the entire soup with savory flavor.
- Create The Roux:
- Add minced garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds to prevent burning. Sprinkle flour evenly over the vegetables and cook for a full 2 minutes, stirring constantly. This step cooks out the raw flour taste and creates the thickening base for your soup.
- Build The Soup:
- Pour in the chicken broth gradually while whisking continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Add the diced potatoes along with dried thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring everything to a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork, approximately 10 minutes.
- Add Proteins And Vegetables:
- Stir in your cooked chicken, frozen peas, and corn. Allow these ingredients to simmer gently for 5 minutes to warm through and meld flavors. The frozen vegetables will cool the soup slightly, so maintain a gentle simmer.
- Finish With Cream:
- Reduce the heat to low before stirring in the heavy cream to prevent curdling. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, remembering that flavors intensify as the soup sits. Keep the soup warm on the lowest heat setting while preparing the biscuits.
- Make The Biscuit Dough:
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the biscuits. Add the cold cubed butter and work it into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea sized pieces of butter remaining. This texture creates flaky layers in the finished biscuits.
- Form And Bake Biscuits:
- Add the cold buttermilk and stir just until the dough comes together. Overmixing will create tough biscuits. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat to 1 inch thickness. Cut biscuits with a round cutter, place on a parchment lined baking sheet, brush with additional buttermilk, and bake at 425°F until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Serve With Style:
- Ladle the hot soup into bowls and serve with freshly baked biscuits on the side. The ideal way to enjoy is by breaking the biscuits into pieces and dropping them into the soup just before eating, allowing them to soak up the creamy broth.
Pin You Must Know
- Perfect make ahead meal that actually improves with time
- Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months without the biscuits
- Complete protein and vegetable meal in one pot
- Can be easily doubled for larger gatherings
The heavy cream is truly the secret ingredient that transforms this from a standard chicken soup to something special. My grandmother taught me to add it off the heat to prevent any possibility of curdling, and I still remember her saying that a good chicken pot pie soup should coat the back of a spoon just enough without being too thick.
Storage Tips
This soup stores beautifully in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The flavors actually improve after a day as they have time to meld together. When reheating, do so gently on the stovetop over medium low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. If the soup has thickened too much during storage, thin it with a splash of chicken broth or milk until you reach your desired consistency.
For the biscuits, store completely cooled leftovers in a paper bag inside a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes to restore their crisp exterior. For longer storage, freeze unbaked biscuit rounds and bake directly from frozen, adding about 3 minutes to the baking time.
Ingredient Substitutions
This recipe welcomes adaptations based on what you have available. Turkey works wonderfully in place of chicken, especially after holidays when you have leftovers. For a dairy free version, substitute the heavy cream with full fat coconut milk and use plant based butter and milk for the biscuits.
The vegetables are flexible too. Add mushrooms for an earthy flavor, or swap in sweet potatoes for regular potatoes for added nutrition and color. Fresh herbs can replace dried when available simply triple the amount called for. For those avoiding gluten, a one to one gluten free flour blend works in both the soup and biscuits.
Seasonal Adaptations
Spring Version Add fresh asparagus pieces and substitute some of the chicken with ham for a lighter spring flavor profile
Summer Harvest Incorporate fresh corn cut directly from the cob and add diced zucchini during the last few minutes of cooking
Autumn Comfort Stir in a cup of roasted butternut squash cubes and add a pinch of nutmeg to the soup base
Success Stories
This soup has become my signature dish for new parents and neighbors going through difficult times. The comforting flavors and complete meal aspect make it perfect for sharing. One friend who claimed to dislike chicken pot pie was completely converted after trying this soup version, saying the creamy broth and freshly baked biscuits gave her a new appreciation for these classic flavors.
During a neighborhood power outage last winter, I was able to reheat this soup on our gas stove, and it brought together several families for an impromptu dinner party by candlelight. Everyone left with the recipe and warm memories despite the challenging circumstances.
Pin Pro Tips
- For the ultimate flavor development, consider making your own chicken stock from a whole chicken, then using the cooked meat in the soup. The depth of flavor is unmatched by store bought alternatives.
- When cutting biscuits, press straight down without twisting the cutter, which allows for the highest rise during baking.
- And finally, if time allows, chill your soup pot in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before adding the cream this temperature difference creates the silkiest texture possible.
Enjoy this comforting and classic dish made easy!