What's Cookin' Wednesday

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

We are not eating this for dinner tonight, instead we are having leftovers. boooo!

Last week, some friends and I stopped by Jason's Deli before heading out for a weekend of shopping. I ended up ordering the Managers Special which is 1/2 of a sandwich and a bowl of soup. Playing it safe (due to my picky habits), I ordered the club royale and a bowl of broccoli soup. I mean, you can never go wrong with broccoli soup. Am I right?

I received my sandwich, which was on time and delicious...however they were out of broccoli soup. So, my second choice was to go with the chicken pot pie soup.

Three words: oh. my. word.

 It was fantastic!!

Being that my husband loves when I make chicken pot pie, I thought it would be neat to switch things up and try this tasty recipe.  It can be made two ways depending on how much time you have available. The results should be the same.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup – from scratch

adapted from Food.com

Dinner | Servings: 4
Prep time: 30 min | Cook time: 20 min | Total time: 50 min

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth, divided
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 tsp. olive oil, divided
• 8 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed (about 2 cups)*
• 6 tbsp. butter, divided
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 – 2/3 cup)
• 1 garlic clove, minced or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. chicken bouillon, ground up
• 1 tbsp. fresh chopped thyme or 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1 can (15 oz.) green peas, drained**
• 1 can (15 oz.) corn, drained**
• Puff pastry dough (I use Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations)

*If you want to save some time, I like this pre-cooked chicken.

**You can use frozen corn/peas instead of canned. Cook the still frozen vegetables along with the carrots instead of adding them at the end.

Process

1. Put potatoes in a pot with 1 cup of chicken broth and enough water to cover them. At the same time, put your carrots in a pot with enough water to cover them. Cover and cook both vegetables until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat up 1 teaspoon of oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add half of the cubed chicken to the pan and cook until no longer pink, about 5-10 minutes (depending on how big you cut the pieces of chicken). Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Heat the other teaspoon of oil and cook the remaining chicken. Add it to the plate and set aside. If there is any liquid/oil left in the pot, pour it out.
3. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the pot. Add the onions and saute over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Once it melts add the garlic, bouillon, thyme, pepper, flour and 1 cup chicken broth. Stir until smooth.
5. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook over medium heat until it boils. Simmer, stirring constantly, for a few minutes until it thickens.

Note: If the soup gets too thick for your liking, add in more chicken broth. If it’s too thin for your liking, try adding about 1/4 cup more flour or cook it longer to let some liquid evaporate.

6. Stir in the chicken and vegetables. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, (or uncovered if you want to thicken it more) while you bake the puff pastry.

7. Roll out your pastry dough about 1/4 inch thick and cut into 3×3 inch squares. Bake in 375 degree oven for 7-10 minutes, until puffy and slightly browned on top.
8. Add salt and pepper to the soup, to taste. Serve with puff pastry on top.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup – The uber easy way

adapted from Allrecipes.com

Dinner | Servings: 4
Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 10 min | Total time: 10 min

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked cubed chicken (If you want to save time, I recommend pre-cooked chicken)
• 2 cans condensed cream of potato
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can peas, drained
• 1 can carrots, drained
• 2 cups span class=”name”>milk
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• Puff pastry dough (optional if you are trying to keep it low fat)

Process

1. In large pot, combine all ingredients and heat through, about 10 minutes.
2. Roll out your pastry dough about 1/4 inch thick and cut into 3×3 inch squares. Bake in 375 degree oven for 7-10 minutes, until puffy and slightly browned on top. Serve on top of soup.

We have family coming in this weekend for a wedding; and I'm happy to say that this soup will definitely be on the agenda!