Cream Cheese Chicken Vegetable Soup
This lightened-up cream cheese chicken vegetable soup is delicious and creamy and full of hearty vegetables and tender chicken. One of our favorites!
Creamy, hearty, and absolutely delicious, this cream cheese chicken vegetable soup is amazing. Like, amazing amazing.
It’s not fancy. And it’s not necessarily impressive if you’re just sitting there staring at it, but one taste, and you’ll be won over.
Chock full of vegetables and tender chicken, it is a one-stop solution for a soup that’s simple, tasty and filling.
This creamy soup has been a family favorite for years.
It’s on repeat during the cooler fall and winter months, and I found out pretty quickly that my family far and above prefers thick and creamy soups to any other.
Which means this delicious cream cheese chicken vegetable soup is always a winner.
And it’s become a go-to option for when I’m taking dinner into someone. Always a hit!
A trio of vegetables (onions, celery, carrots) cooks for a quick minute before broth and potatoes are added.
Everything simmers until the potatoes are tender. Give or take, that’s about 10 minutes. So we’re already winning at the fast dinner game.
In goes the milk + flour mixture and then the softened cream cheese.
I interrupt this soup making memo to say that you can further simplify this recipe by blending the milk, flour and cream cheese together until smooth and adding it all together.
Let it cook and thicken for a few minutes before stirring in the chicken.
And that’s it!
The most amazing cream cheese chicken vegetable soup.
Have you made this? Do you love it as much as we do? I hope so! Here are a few other rave reviews:
Heather: Made this tonight and it was delicious and perfect for this fall weather in Minnesota!!
Meg: Just wanted to say that this soup has remained a favorite at our house, and it’s so funny because my husband and son really don’t like soup very much, but they both love this one! Tonight I used half the cream cheese and it still was super delicious. This recipe has good bones;)
What to Serve With This
- Buttery Pull-Apart Bundt Bread
- Green salad or fresh fruit
One Year Ago: My Mom’s Classic Chili
Two Years Ago: No-Bake Spiderweb Cheesecake
Cream Cheese Chicken Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup finely diced yellow onion, about 1 medium onion
- ½ cup small diced celery, about 2 stalks
- ½ cup small diced carrots, about 1-2 medium carrots
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 3 cups chicken broth, I use low-sodium
- 2 ½ to 3 cups peeled and small diced potatoes, about 2-3 medium potatoes (see note)
- 1 cup milk, I use 2%
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 (8-ounce) package regular or light cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups cooked diced chicken
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook, 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 8-10 minutes.
- In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth (or blend in a blender). 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.
- Add the softened cream cheese to the soup in 1-inch pieces. Let the cream cheese sit in the soup and warm through completely before stirring until smooth.
- Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Recipe originally published in 2008; updated in May 2020 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
I made this tonight and it was great! Thank you so much for posting this recipe. The only things I did different was to use whole wheat flour and I added some chopped red peppers as well, since I wanted to use mine up. Thanks again! Will be making this often.
Made this last night and it was so delicious – – my husband loved it.
I made this recipe last night along with your recipe for perfect dinner rolls. Oh My Word! Delicious!! I made it early in the afternoon and let it cook on the warm setting in my crock pot until our company arrived. The cream cheese melted beautifully in there and the taste was rich and delicious.
I discovered your blog while recovering from my wisdom teeth removal and I’ve been trying lots of your recipes in the couple weeks since I resumed eating. Everything from vanilla pudding cinnamon rolls to black beans and rice. I love your blog!
Just wanted to say that I made this last night and it was delicious!
I would just LOOOOVE this soup! I make a very similar recipe – one that I’m ‘known’ for – using Velveeta, but using the cream cheese has to be over the top. I’ll be making it soon…and I can’t imagine what it’s like to have 65+ comments! WOW!! You must be very very very good…this is my first stop at your blog, but I’ll be back for sure.
This is seriously one of the best soups I have ever eaten. I even emailed the recipe to all of my friends and family and posted a link on Facebook…it was that good! Where do you come up with all of these recipes? I found your website a few days ago and have saved about 15 recipes that I want to make. I am hungry just thinking about all of them. Thanks!!!
Came to search out my fave soup recipe. This is my very fav! I can’t get enough of it!! Best soup ever! Thanks for the great recipe!
I am just wondering about how many servings this makes.
Thanks.
Hi April – about 4-6, on average.
Made this for dinner yesterday and it was a big hit with everyone. Just added to our favorite soup category!
Just made this soup today, did not had any celery at hand so I added some broccoli and corn. One of the best soups I have had. My family loved it. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Just made this for dinner, and it was delicious! I cut up the raw chicken and added it with the veggies, and used garlic powder instead of the cloves. It was really good, and my kids liked it. Thanks for the recipe.
Have made this many times. Our whole family loves it. I have made almost everyone I know make it. They love it. My 4 year-old asked last week if I could make it everyday. I said maybe every week until the weather warms up. So easy and so yummy. I love soup. Thanks for this great recipe.
OMG – this stuff is AMAZING!!!!!! This is becoming a staple at our house! THANK YOU!!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I made this tonight. It’s tasty–thick and creamy. And the directions for making it are really good.
Thanks, queenann!
I made this tonight with turkey stock we made at Thanksgiving. With the addition of a few bouillon cubes to enhance the stock the soup turned out amazing. Thanks so much for posting such delicious recipes. I’ve learned so much about how to enhance recipes in general by following your recipes.
Katie – thanks for letting me know you loved this one and I think it sounds great with the turkey stock. Yum!
Just made this last night and it was super good! I did make a few adjustments based on what I had on hand though. I used beef broth (leftover from cooking a roast in the crock pot for french dip sandwiches) and only 1/2 the cream cheese (all I had). This totally tasted like beef stroganoff! Next time I might use beef and put over egg noodles. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks, Niki! Glad your substitutions and changes worked out well – sounds like you may have created an entirely different dish. Cool!
I made this last night and I could not stop eating it!!! LOL!! It was so creamy & delicious 🙂 I did use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store b/c I was in a hurry and it worked like a champ. Thanks for a wonderful recipe. And thank you for making recipes that are more natural w/o all of that “cream of ??” . Makes me feel better about feeding it to my family.
Leigh Anne – I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
I just made this recently for a Relief Society meeting at church and it was a big hit. There were lots of soups there, but I think this was the best. And I didn’t get enough, so it made me want to make it again right away. I love this soup! And all of your soups. Yum, I love your new favorites list. I think I have made most of them and love them!
AJ – glad this soup worked well for your church function! Thanks for checking in to let me know (and I’m glad you’ve liked the other recipes you’ve tried, too!).
I made this soup for dinner the other night. My husband said,”This is the best soup I’ve ever had in my whole life!” It was so good. I have tried many recipes from this site…all are killer!
Thanks, Brittany!
Is this the recipe from Family Fun that originally uses about 2 cups of half and half? Love that soup, hate the calories! I think this is a great way to get the same flavor with fewer calories, especially if light cream cheese was used. Thanks!
Patti – I don’t think this is the same recipe although it sounds similar!
This was AMAAAZING good! I made it last night and today I couldn’t decide whether to eat more for lunch (for myself) or save it for leftovers (which means I’d have to share) 😉
Thanks, Shanna – I saw your post and amazing pictures on this soup!
Hi Mel; I made this for dinner last night. Success! My husband has christened this a “Man’s Soup” because “it feels like you’ve eaten something instead of just had something to drink.” I didn’t tell him I made it with 1% milk and reduced fat cream cheese. Thank you for adding another new meal to my family’s menu!
Thanks, Molly! I’m glad this was such a hit (and I chuckled at your husband’s description of it!).
I myself get aggravated when people right a review and totally change the posters recipe but I did have to adapt this recipe because I cannot eat dairy.
I used soy milk and soy cream cheese and used some good Tofu instead of the chicken. I like a lot of seasoning and am longing for fall as I live in Florida so I added dry basil, thyme, rosemary and for heat a little cayenne pepper. All I can say is thank you because the concept of this recipe is wonderful for me to eat a yummy creamy healthy soup! It’s only 10:30 and I’m ready for lunch!
cheryl – I’m glad you included your changes. Sounds delicious and that’s great you were able to enjoy it dairy free!
Yummy! Eating leftovers of this soup for lunch. Was great for dinner last night — ended up needing to add more chicken broth as mineturned out VERY thick. I used leftoever baked potatoes so added them chopped up at the end but needed to cook the chicken so just put a couple chicken breasts in with the chicken broth, cooked until they were done, and pulled them out to chop up. Also I added some frozen corn at the end and it was a good choice. Very easy and tastes great! Thanks!
Eryka – love your changes, especially using already baked potatoes!
This was so yummy! My family loved it. Thank you Mel.
Thanks, Linda!
Looked yummy…tasted even yummier! 🙂 It was super easy and super delicious! Thanks for yet another great go to recipe!!
Thanks, Allison!
Ten years later and still making this soup when it’s cold outside. Yummy. Warm. Creamy. Full of veggies! Thanks again, Mel! Had to come and make sure that I had left a comment!
loved the old one, tried the new one and loved it too! I also added less cream cheese this time to cut calories and it was still good.
Thanks, SJ!
Thanks again for a great recipe. I made this last night for dinner and my whole family loved it. My husband who has an aversion to potatoes even loved them in this soup.
Thanks, Kim!
I look forward to adding this to our “Soup Sunday” rotation.
Made this tonight for my little trick or treating gremlins and it was a perfect hit for such a rainy chilly night! Thank you! <3
Hollie – great Halloween soup! Glad you all liked it.
I adore your website. I check it daily. Every Single one of your recipes have been wonderful. I know that anything I try from you will be great. I am making Thanksgiving for the first time this year for my in-laws and have never been good at making a turkey but I am going to try your method and see how it works. If you have any new thanksgving recipes please post. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I tell all of my friends about your website. It is the absolute BEST and I check a lot of food blogs.
Alicia – I’ll actually be posting a whole week’s worth of Thanksgiving recipes starting next week. I hope you will like them!
I am putting this recipe on my must try list! It sounds and looks fabulous! I feel the same way about my old pictures. lol
Oh, yum! I want to run and make this right now on this rainy fall night. I will for sure be making this one this week! Thanks!!!
Oo this does sound heavenly! I’m not sure if I’ve ever made a soup with cream cheese in it–great idea though!
This sounds delish! I wonder, could I leave out the chicken for Fridays during Lent? (Thinking way too far ahead, I know.)
Cheryl – absolutely. This would be delicious as a vegetable soup.
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this one. Maybe tonight! I love soup weather. Unfortunately, I don’t get of it in Okinawa!
that looks so good and perfect for this fall weather!
This looks so good and since I can’t use dairy I am going to try with soy milk and soy cream cheese.
I’m another lover of the cream soup and I adore using cream cheese – richness without the fat. Perfect soup for cold, wet weather.
As for updating blog pictures I’m with you. Some of my earlier posts either don’t have a picture or the picture doesn’t sell the recipe as much as it could. Now my family knows that I need a couple of minutes to take a picture of dinner before they can dig in lol.
I love the crockpot chicken trick. I’ll cook frozen breasts in chicken broth, with a packet of chicken gravy powder sprinkled in. I think it makes them softer, and gives them more flavor. When I pull the chicken out, I drain off the fatty particles and freeze the liquid for later use. I’ve noticed this soup on here before, but now I’ll really have to put it on the menu. Looks tasty!
This looks like the perfect soup to warm you up and cheer you during the winter.
I love the word “wont”. I have one often. This soup is going to influence my homemade ricotta soup with goat mozzarella and crispy fired shallots that I will be inventing in the next week.
I got this recipe over at the Sisters’ Cafe, and I absolutely LOVE it!
that sounds perfect right now. And i hear you about the pictures. I’m rather embarrassed to link to old posts because of the bad pictures. but I like your idea of updating!
-Krystal @ recipesofacheapskate.blogspot.com
Ohhh, I think I may follow this and make it like a fajita soup, I have cream cheese, leftover chcicken and lots of onions and peppers in my fridge. Perfect for a morning like this morning when we woke up to thick frosty grass! brrrr. Thanks for the idea!
I’ve been making this soup and our family LOVES it. I will try this updated version next time. Thanks for making such YUMMY food!! And by the way, my pan of Parker House Rolls was gone in 30 seconds flat last night at the church trunk-or-treat!
I love creamy soups! Do you have a post on how you cook the chicken in the crockpot, or is it really easy and obvious and I’m just missing out? 🙂
And I am so totally with you on going back and updating recipes and pictures. My old ones are so bad! Mike loves to see the “before and after” posts. I leave the old one up in a web browser, update the pictures and republish it, then compare the new version to the old version. He loves to look at the old version and says “those were so bad and we thought they were so good!” haha…it’s the little things in life 🙂
Megan – I don’t have an official post on the chicken. Usually I throw between 3 and 5 frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot with about 1/2 cup chicken broth. I cook it on low for about 6 hours or high for 4 hours. When it is done, I remove the chicken to a cutting board, shred or chop it, and then either use in my recipe or freeze it (I put the cooled chicken in a tupperware, pour a little of the broth over it then freeze for later use).
Wow that looks amazing! Maybe a perfect Halloween dinner – nice and hearty! It’ll give us all plenty of energy for trick-or-treating! Thanks for sharing this!
YUM! It is going to be in the 50’s here in Maryland (finally) after another warm period, and I can’t wait to make soup! Your recipe will definately be on the menu! Your photo is stunning! Thanks, Melanie!