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When the weather turns nippy, chicken pot pie soup is the hug-in-a-mug I reach for. It’s rich and creamy without heavy cream, packed with tender chicken and veg, and finished with a bright squeeze of lemon that makes all the flavours sing.
“This recipe has become a stable soup in the household since 2018. I add pees (per request of the gang) and poor the soup over a biscuit in a bowl. The best soup anytime of the year.”
Nicky’s Notes
Ok, hands up. This soup is literally the filling I use for my chicken pot pie.
Whenever I go to make the pie, it’s a 50/50 chance on whether it will make it to the pie stage, or whether upon tasting the filling, I just ladle it out in a bowl and eat it as soup. It really is that good, that even the temptation of pastry isn’t enough to make me wait, and I have to dish it up there and then.
I love how rich and creamy this soup is – and it’s made creamy using milk rather than cream, so whilst it tastes indulgent, it’s pretty light.
And I’ve got to get this in here – don’t forget the lemon juice! It’s that squeeze of lemon juice at the end that really makes this soup. The acidity does something magical with the creaminess to really add to the taste. If you’re wary of it tasting lemony (it shouldn’t taste lemony) just add in a little squirt at a time and taste as you go.
Table of Contents
Why this chicken pot pie soup works
- Creamy, not heavy: Built on a butter-onion roux plus milk, so you get indulgence without needing cream.
- Two-pan technique for maximum flavour: Simmer chicken/veg in stock, make the roux separately, then marry the two—this keeps the broth full-bodied and the sauce silky.
- Bright finish: A squeeze of lemon wakes up the richness—subtle, not “lemon soup.”
- Flexible: Works with leftover roast chicken or turkey, gluten-free flour, and your favourite mix of veg.
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Pin ItAbbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
- Simmer chicken, carrots, potatoes, celery, thyme, salt and pepper in stock for about 15 mins until tender; turn off the heat.
- In a second pan, melt butter and soften the onion 5–6 mins; stir in flour and cook 1 min to make a roux.
- Gradually whisk in hot chicken stock to form a thick, smooth sauce, then whisk in the milk and heat gently to thicken.
- Pour the sauce into the chicken pan, warm to just below boiling, stir in lemon juice, season to taste and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Add the lemon at the very end. Acid tightens milk if it goes in too early; finishing with lemon keeps the soup glossy and bright.
Recipe Shortcut: Leftover Chicken
Short on time or have leftovers from your roast dinner? Use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken or leftover roast turkey, 🤔 post Christmas soup idea???
- Shred cooked meat; keep the pieces bite-size so they heat evenly.
- Stir the cooked chicken/turkey in towards the end and warm through gently so it stays tender.
🍽️ What to serve it with
Hearty, soul-warming and perfect for a winter dinner with a nice chunk of toasted bread. Serve in some nice country style soup bowls topped with a sprig of fresh thyme!
Ingredient swaps and modifications
- Add chunks of ham at the end and heat through
- Sprinkle with crispy bacon
- Add extra veggies – such as leeks or mushrooms with the other veggies. For small veggies – such as peas or sweetcorn, add them at the end and heat through.
- I haven’t tried this soup as a vegetarian version yet. A lot of the flavour comes from the stock and cooking the chicken with the vegetables. If you are going to make a vegetarian version, of course leave the chicken out, but try to use a really tasty vegetarian stock so you don’t miss out on flavour. A sprinkling of cheddar cheese at the end would also add more flavour.
📺 Watch how to make it
Chicken Pot Pie Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts cut into small chunks
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped into chunks
- 3 medium sized potatoes peeled and chopped into small chunks
- 2 sticks of celery sliced
- good pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 850 ml (3 1/2 cups) chicken stock water plus 3 stock cubes is fine – use bouillon or gluten-free stock cubes if gluten-free is needed
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion peeled and finely chopped
- 50 g (1/2 cup minus 1 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour (use gluten-free plain/all-purpose flour blend for gluten-free)
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) milk half or full-fat
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 small bunch fresh thyme
Instructions
- Add the chicken, carrots, potatoes, celery, salt, pepper, thyme, and stock to a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 15 minutes and then turn off the heat.3 chicken breasts, 3 carrots, 3 medium sized potatoes, 2 sticks of celery, good pinch of salt and pepper, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme, 850 ml (3 1/2 cups) chicken stock
- When the chicken and stock is nearly cooked, take another large saucepan and add in the butter and onions. Heat on medium and cook the onion for about 5-6 minutes until soft.3 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 large onion
- Add in the flour and mix it into the onions and butter using a balloon whisk. It should form into a creamy paste (or roux).50 g (1/2 cup minus 1 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
- Allow the roux to cook for a minute whilst stirring with your whisk, then add in a ladle of the stock from the chicken broth (try to get mostly stock – not the chicken/veggies). Whisk the broth into the mixture. Repeat this until you have ladled out most of the stock from the chicken pan (leaving the chicken and veggies behind).
- Then pour the milk into the sauce mixture. Heat through whilst stirring with the whisk. The sauce should thicken slightly as it's heating.300 ml (1 1/4 cups) milk
- Once the sauce is almost at boiling (don't let it boil) pour it back into the pan with the chicken and veggies. Bring back to almost boiling and add in half the lemon juice. Give it a stir and taste. Add the rest of the lemon juice if needed.juice of 1 lemon
- Season with salt and pepper and top with a sprig of fresh thyme before serving.1 small bunch fresh thyme
Video
Notes
Can I make it gluten free?
Yes – use gluten free stock and gluten free plain/all-purpose flour blend for a gluten free version.Can I make it ahead?
Yes, make the soup, then quickly cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days. Reheat in a pan until piping hot before serving. You may need to add in a splash of stock or water to loosen it up again, as it does thicken a little more as it cools.Will it freeze?
Yes, this soup freezes well. Make the soup, then quickly cool, cover and freeze. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan until piping hot before serving. You may need to add in a splash of stock or water to loosen it up again, as it does thicken a little more as it cools. Nutritional Information is per serving.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Chicken pot pie soup recipe was first published in December 2014. Updated in December 2018 with new photos, video, step-by-step photos and tips. Updated since with improvements and for housekeeping reasons.
More Amazing Soups
Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food’s Chicken and Ham pie.
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Made this with our left over Turkey from Thanksgiving celebration! RAVE reviews from the whole family!
Delicious and so easy to make. I have made this with chicken and will be doing it with Turkey tonight.
This recipe has become a stable soup in the household since 2018. I add pees (per request of the gang) and poor the soup over a biscuit in a bowl. The best soup anytime of the year.
We had roast chicken for dinner yesterday and I always like to make my own chicken stock with the carcass, usually to make soup. Going to make this for dinner tomorrow, just added ingredients I need to my shopping list.
I cooked this soup today and it is delicious!! I did not see this in the directions, so when do you add the thyme?
Thanks for spotting that Linda – and for coming back after trying it. The thyme should be added at the beginning with the salt and pepper. I’ve updated the recipe now.
frustrating when you cannot copy and paste a recipe into word. I just did screen shots and will retype it as time permits before I make it.
Hi Sam, Not sure why you can’t copy and paste? it works ok for me. Although a box comes up, you should still be able to highlight the text and copy it. I’ll take a copy and email it to you anyway – just in case there’s a problem.
Sounds wonderful but is there a way to possibly make this in a crock pot? Perhaps make the roux on the stove top to add in?
Thanks Rachel,
I haven’t tried it – so I’m not 100% certain, but I think you could make the stock and vegetables in the crock pot. Then – as you say – make the roux on the stove top. I would then slowly ladle most of the stock from the crock pot into the roux whilst stirring and bring to almost boiling. You could then transfer it back to the crock pot with the chicken and veg.
Has anyone tried freezing this? I like to do mass cooking and then freeze individual servings for grab and go to work?
Hi Elisa,
I haven’t tried freezing yet but I think it would work fine. I’d recommend leaving out the lemon juice before freezing, then just adding a squirt before you serve it.