This homemade cream of chicken soup recipe is the ultimate comfort food!

A creamy and savory chicken broth is filled with tender chunks of chicken and a handful of veggies for a simple and cozy soup recipe.

This easy recipe comes together in no time at all for a savory soup that will be on the menu rotation all year long!

cream of chicken soup in a blue bowl next to a loaf of bread

Simple Comfort

Cream of chicken soup is one of those cozy recipes that feel like a hug in a bowl. Simple homemade goodness.

  • This soup is the perfect way to use up any leftover bits of chicken or even turkey.
  • It is a combination of simple ingredients that packs great flavor and reheats well.
  • Add potatoes, leftover rice or even pasta to turn it into a creamy chicken noodle soup.

Note: This is a creamy soup for eating, not a condensed cream of chicken soup substitute for casseroles. Find our from-scratch condensed soup here to use in recipes.

ingredients for cream of chicken soup on a wood board

Ingredients

Chicken – Adding cooked chicken to this soup makes it so easy (check the notes if you don’t have cooked chicken)! Use chicken from a leftover rotisserie chicken or use turkey if that’s what you have on hand!

Vegetables – Onions, carrots, and celery are simmered until tender. Try adding bell peppers, zucchini, or mushrooms!

Broth – Chicken broth or chicken stock is the base of this soup. A splash of cream a creamy, flavorful texture!

Seasonings – Poultry seasoning, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper are all added to the soup.

No Cooked Chicken? No Problem!

If you don’t have cooked chicken, add 2 medium (5-7 oz each) boneless skinless chicken breasts to 4 cups of chicken broth in a small saucepan (add a sprinkle of herbs if you’d like).

Bring it to a boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 10-12 minutes and remove from the broth. Cool and shred or chop. This also adds extra flavor to the broth!

How to Make Cream of Chicken Soup

A thick and creamy soup starts with a really good roux! After that, it’s as easy as 1-2-3!

  1. Melt butter in a dutch oven and cook the onion until tender per the recipe below.
  2. Add the flour and seasonings, and cook for a few minutes. Add broth a bit at a time, mixing after each addition until smooth. Simmer with carrots and celery.
  3. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for a few minutes more. Discard bay leaf and serve immediately.
adding cream to a pot of cream of chicken soup

Tips for Perfect Creamy Soup

  • When adding the flour, let it cook for a few minutes before adding liquid.
  • Start adding liquid a bit at a time to thicken the soup. It will be thick and pasty at first, continue stirring until smooth after each addition.
  • Heavy cream can be substituted for evaporated milk or light cream.
  • If there’s no sherry, feel free to substitute dry white wine!

Serve this soup with some homemade buns or french bread for dunking!

Cream of Chicken Soup in a pot with a laddle

Super Yummy Soups

Here are more of our favoriter creamy cozy soup recipes!

Did you enjoy this Cream of Chicken Soup? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below! 

cream of chicken soup in a blue bowl next to a loaf of bread
5 from 46 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

Fresh and flavorful soup loaded with veggies and chicken in a creamy, seasoned broth!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

Ingredients  

  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons dry sherry
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 carrots finely chopped
  • 2 ribs celery finely chopped
  • 2 cups cooked chicken chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream cream
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • In a large pot, cook onion in butter over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes.
  • Add flour and seasonings and cook 1 minute more.
  • Stir in broth a bit at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition.
  • Add sherry, bay leaf, carrot, and celery, simmer 12-14 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
  • Add chicken and cream. Simmer 5 minutes more.
  • Discard bay leaf, season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Garnish with parsley if desired and serve.

Notes

No Cooked Chicken? If you don’t have cooked chicken, add 2 medium (5-7 oz each) boneless skinless chicken breasts to 4 cups of chicken broth in a small saucepan (add a sprinkle of herbs if you’d like). Bring it to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes and remove it from the broth. Cool and shred or chop. This also adds extra flavor to the broth!
  • When adding the flour, let it cook for a few minutes before adding liquid.
  • Start adding liquid a bit at a time to thicken the soup. It will be thick and pasty at first, continue stirring until smooth after each addition.
  • Sherry can be substituted with dry white wine. You can leave it out if you’d like but it does enhance the flavor.
5 from 46 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 499 | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 172mg | Sodium: 1060mg | Potassium: 561mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 6339IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American

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About the author

Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
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Comments

  1. I made this soup for lunch today. It was so tasty! Rather than add salt, I added Roasted Chicken Better Than Bouillon, a half teaspoon garlic, cracked black pepper, and I used canned chicken. So yummy!5 stars

  2. Hi Holly
    How are you?
    Your homemade Chicken soup looks delicious would love to try it someday!

    Hilary Cole
    Harare Zimbabwe5 stars

  3. Made this today. I had a rotisserie chicken, took the meat off and simmered the caucus for several hours, cooled the broth and skimmed the fat off. Had about 5 cups of broth.
    This was absolutely wonderful. Will definitely make it again.5 stars

  4. I made this for a friend who is going through a cancer journey. It was so good. She requested a repeat. It will be on our rotation as well.

  5. The absolute best chicken soup recipe. I bake my chicken breasts in the oven with a healthy coating of McCormick rotisserie chicken seasoning and sealed in foil , I then put any juices from them into my soup along with the stock.
    Don’t try to rush cooking this soup you need everything nice and tender5 stars

  6. This is seriously good soup! I boiled my chicken breast as per your recipe and precooked the carrots and celery in chicken broth for about 10 min. and subbed this broth for one cup of the chicken broth. I added a pinch of tarragon. This soup is hearty and comforting on a cold winter day!5 stars

  7. This soup is Awesome the only change I made was I used leftover Turkey instead of chicken, made it exactly as written. Thanks for the great recipe, it was a hit 5 stars

  8. Made this recipe for dinner tonight. It was very good and very filling. I used Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour and it worked fine. Had to add salt and pepper but I didn’t pay attention to whether or not I used low sodium broth.5 stars

  9. Love this recipe! It’s quick and easy but most importantly, it is delicious! I tried it the first time and it was a hit.
    I did not have enough blueberries so I added some thinly cut apples to make up for them. It worked very well.5 stars

  10. Holly, I’ve commented several times asking you to include calorie per serving and you’ve never responded. Well, duh!!! I finally figured it out and I’m sorry I bothered you about it. Keep everything coming. I love it all.5 stars