Chicken Potato Soup

A pot of easy chicken potato soup is a cozy, delicious meal for a chilly day!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken and potato soup, chicken potato soup, chicken soup with potatoes, creamy chicken potato soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings cups

Calories 274kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

1 tablespoon butter
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 8 thighs) (or sub with chicken breasts)
3 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon total)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups chicken broth
1 ½ lbs. Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes (about 4 large), diced into 1-inch cubes
½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half, at room temperature
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Optional garnish: additional chopped fresh parsley or other herbs

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, sauté bacon in butter over medium heat until crisp and browned, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high; sear chicken in the butter/bacon fat until browned on all sides (about 5 minutes) – it does not need to be cooked through at this point. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add carrots, celery, and onion to the drippings in the pot. Cook, stirring regularly, until the onion starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in flour, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, basil, oregano, and thyme. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add broth, potatoes, browned chicken (and any accumulated juices from the plate), and bacon to the pot. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to low or medium-low, and simmer (covered) for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Discard bay leaf.
Stir in the cream. Simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes (or until heated through). Remove from the heat. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Stir in the parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh herbs.

Keep an eye on the soup and add the cream as soon as the potatoes are tender. You don’t want to cook the potatoes for too long, or they’ll get mushy.

Add extra flavor to the soup with more herbs and spices, such as poultry seasoning, paprika, chives, dill, or a spicy kick from crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.

Allow the cream to come to room temperature before stirring it into the soup. The room-temperature cream is less likely to break or curdle when you add it to the hot pot.

Taste and season as you go. The total amount of salt necessary will vary depending on the saltiness of your broth, and on personal preference. Add extra salt for more flavor, and feel free to increase the other herbs and seasonings as well. Start with low sodium chicken broth if you’re sensitive to sodium, since many store-bought options can be quite salty.