10/8/13

Chicken Pot Pie Soup


In a few days, my husband and I are taking a cross country flight with our 16 month old daughter. To say I'm dreading the flight would be an understatement. Amelia was 7 months old last time we flew and she was great - mostly because at that point she couldn't walk and was content to eat and sleep and look at things. Now . . . not so much. I'll share a picture of the backpack full of toys that I'm packing to try to keep her entertained on the plane in the Thursday Thoughts this week. And probably in the next Thursday Thoughts I'll share how she rejected each of them one by one and ran screaming up and down the aisle of the plane with one shoe and a fistful of stickers. 

To calm myself down a bit this weekend, I made this soup. It says comfort in each bite, which was just what I needed. I had tried a couple pot pie soup recipes that just didn't work for me, so I combined my favorite parts from those recipes to make this version, which is faster, healthier and more delicious. I slimmed it down by substituting milk for half and half and reducing the amount of butter. It still ended up being rich, creamy, and full of great chicken pot pie flavor. My husband, who hates soup, ate several bowls of this and fought me for the leftovers. It is a thick soup with plenty of chicken and my favorite veggies, including a parsnip. If you've never tried cooking with parsnips before, this would be a great way to try. It adds a subtle sweetness and bite to the soup that gives it a special flavor. 

Though I did lower the fat in the soup, I couldn't resist adding the puff pastry triangles on top. To me, they really make the soup because they add a buttery crunchiness that is just like pie dough. You could always use plain ol' oyster crackers if you didn't want to go through the trouble of cooking the puff pastry, but I will tell you that you're missing out on some tastiness. The pastry is easy to bake up while the soup is cooking and those flaky layers are irresistible. And beautiful. 

And now back to the packing. Wish us luck!


Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Heat Oven To 350 Published 10/08/2013
Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 pound chicken cut into 1/2 inch pieces (or two cups shredded, cooked chicken)
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped (if it is a large parsnip, quarter it and cut out the woody stem before using)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut puff pastry along seams into thirds, and cut each third into four triangles. Place on a baking sheet and cook until puffed and lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
  2. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink. Remove to a bowl and set aside. (Skip this step if using shredded, cooked chicken.)
  3. To the butter remaining in the pot, add celery, onion, carrots and parsnip along with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add flour, thyme, sage and marjoram. Cook and stir one minute.
  4. Stir in broth and milk, cover the pot, and bring soup to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes.
  5. Stir in chicken and peas and let simmer until chicken is cooked through and peas are heated, about 5 minutes.
  6. Divide soup among serving bowls, topping with pastry triangles.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep Time:10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Recipe Source: Heat Oven To 350

10 Click For Comments:

Oooh, this sounds great! love that you managed to lighten it up while keeping it rich and creamy :) I will definitely add it to my list of soups to make.
Good luck flying with Amelia! I'll keep my fingers crossed that it goes much better than expected ;)

ahh good luck with the travels!


this soup sounds like a must make this winter!

This looks so delicious, Nicole! The phyllo is a great element for the pie crust - gotta have that! Good luck on your flight! My husband and I never went anywhere when our kids were little cuz we were too chicken!

this looks amazing Nicole. Total comfort in a bowl. Good luck on the flight. Hopefully all will go smooth!

Chicken pot pie soup is the best. I have a similar recipe, but I really like the addition of parsnip to this one. I'll definitely be making this when it gets colder.


I hope you have a great trip. Good luck with your flight!

That does look like pure comfort in a bowl! Not sure why I've never thought to keep puff pastry on hand - love it! Fingers crossed about the trip!

That recipe looks fantastic. I cannot wait to make it!

I made this tonight and we all loved it. Definitely making again. Thanks!

That is the best compliment you could give! Thanks so much for stopping by and letting me know how it worked for you.

For a truly luxurious, rich version of this dish...add 2-3 oz of diced pancetta to the mix in step #2...get the pastry going, then cook the pancetta in your big pot to render the fat (shouldn't be much, but it is rich and flavorful)...then add the 2 tbsp of butter before browning the chicken. This adds a subtle, rich, yet sweetly floral note to the broth that marries very well with the herbs. If you want a smokier, more robust effect, try using 4 thick slices of applewood smoked bacon.

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