Since this little food blog holds my favorite recipes ever, I continue to make the recipes on this site all the time. Because of that and the fact that I have been posting for nigh on 3 years, I will occasionally update an older recipe with new pictures (heaven help us, my old pictures are bad!), recipe updates, etc.
However, sometimes a recipe warrants an entirely new post. Like this one.
I originally posted this soup in nearly my first month of blogging. And over the last two plus years it has continued to be a family favorite, but as I’m wont to do, I have adapted it and added to it just a bit to make it even lovelier than it was before.
I can easily say this is one of my all-time favorite soups. It is creamy and chock full of hearty vegetables and tender chicken. The flavor is outstanding and the silky texture of the soup is divine. Oftentimes, cream-based soups can be fairly high on the caloric quantity scale, but this soup is thickened with cream cheese (you can use light!) and a bit of flour and milk. The result is a thick, creamy soup that is surprisingly smooth and light and is healthy enough, you can be like me and rationalize for seconds on dessert. Don’t worry, I won’t tell, if you won’t.
One Year Ago: My Mom’s Classic Chili
Two Years Ago: No-Bake Spiderweb Cheesecake
Note: this recipe calls for already cooked chicken. I usually cook the chicken breasts in the crockpot with a little chicken broth the morning I make this soup, but you could also go ahead and cook the chicken in the first step with the onions and other vegetables that cook together.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced (I like to leave the peels on red potatoes, if using them)
- 1 cup milk (1% is my milk of choice)
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
- 2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
Directions
- In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
- In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn.
- Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty. I usually place the unwrapped cream cheese on a plate and microwave it for one minute at 30% power. I like it really, really soft so it doesn’t leave lumps in the soup. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well.
- Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
Recipe Source: originally posted here
[...] Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup(friends over for Sunday lunch)-http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/10/cream-cheese-chicken-and-vegetable-soup.html-Served with crusty bread and Corn Dog Muffins for the [...]
Can’t wait to try this! I have some cooked shredded chicken in the freezers to use up….do you think that would work or do you need the chunks of chicken?
Hailey – the shredded chicken should work just fine.
Seriously LOVED this soup!!! Hubby and the toddler both raved as well! Winner!
Only small changes I made were adding an extra potato, a few extra carrots, a bit more broth to make it go farther, and used seasoned salt at the end instead of regular salt. You know it’s a winner when you look forward to eating the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!! Thanks for another great recipe.
[...] If you’d like to give the recipe a go–which you should, you can find it here. [...]
This soup is delicious! I added a handful of frozen corn into the pot towards the end and it was heavenly! Thanks for posting so many wonderful recipes. I have tried many of them and they have all been great. I recommend your blog to everyone I know who’s into cooking!
I made this for dinner tonight, and the highest possible compliment that could be payed for this meal is that my non-soup-loving men- 6 years and 31 years- LOVED this! They both ate seconds and one had thirds! This was fabulously delicious! thanks so much for another great recipe:)
Just made this. Wow. I have made several of your things. Now when I try something new, the kids ask , “Is this Mel’s?” They loved your pizza dough better than “that Wolfgang guy’s”. Now I am off to find something “of Mel’s” for dessert
This has become a huge Family Favorite at our house! I always have to double it because it makes the best leftover lunch the next day.
Simply wonderful, thank you for your recipes!