This easy Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup is pure comfort food. Packed with vegetables and tender chicken, this creamy chicken soup recipe comes together in just 30 minutes for a quick and satisfying meal the whole family will love.
Hearty chicken and vegetable soup is a one pot meal, perfect for warming up from the inside out during the cold winter months.
This recipe has been a reader favorite for years - receiving over 40 five star reviews!
One of the reasons this soup is a favorite is it's flexibility — you can make it with leftover roast chicken, rotisserie chicken, or fresh chicken pieces, along with any vegetables you have on hand. Just warm up and serve with a side of crusty bread for a delicious lunch or light dinner option.
We love soup at the Family Food Kitchen! It’s one of our most reliable make-ahead meal prep options, and like all great soups, this hearty creamy chicken vegetable soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen and develop.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Chicken Vegetable Soup Ingredients
- How to Make Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup - Step-By-Step
- Variations & Substitutions
- Pro Tips & Tricks
- How To Serve Chicken & Vegetable Soup?
- Storage and Freezing Instructions
- How to Reheat
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Pin This Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe For Later
- What Do You Think?!
- More Easy Soup Recipe Ideas
- Printable Recipe
- Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Reader Comments & Ratings
Why You'll Love This Chicken Vegetable Soup
- This is a great recipe for using leftover chicken from the weekend's roast.
- Soup is a healthy way of packing those vegetables in. Feel free to adapt and add the veggies you and your whole family enjoy eating.
- Leftovers make an excellent next-day lunch and can be easily reheated and packed into a thermos for a simple, portable meal.
- If you love Soup Recipes, try these!
Chicken Vegetable Soup Ingredients
Find the full list and quantities in the recipe card below.
Chicken - this recipe uses cooked chicken and is a great way to use up leftover chicken from the weekend's roast, or a rotisserie chicken from your local store.
Vegetables - onion, celery and carrots make a great base of flavor with any soup. I also like to add in a cup of corn, but this is entirely optional. This is a versatile recipe, as most soups are, so add in the veggies you and your family enjoy eating.
Chicken Broth - use a good quality chicken broth as it will make all the difference to the flavor of the finished soup. Vegetable stock would also work here too.
Gluten free chicken broth is available in most stores if you are making this soup for gluten free diners.
Cream - I've added heavy cream but it can be replaced with half and half or light cream. Or can be left out entirely for a broth based soup.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup - Step-By-Step
Find the full printable recipe card below.
Fry the diced onion, celery and carrots in the butter (or olive oil) stirring occasionally, until soft. This should take around 10 minutes.
Season well with sea salt and stir in the minced garlic then add the shredded cooked chicken and chicken broth. Stir everything together well.
Bring the soup to a boil then turn down to a simmer. It should be barely bubbling. Add the lid and simmer for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste and season again if required then add the corn (optional) and heavy cream. Stir well. If you prefer a thinner soup, add more chicken broth.
Check the seasoning for the final time and adjust if needed. Serve this delicious meal hot garnished with fresh chopped parsley.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup in the Slow Cooker/Crockpot
I recommend softening the vegetables in butter first, before adding to the slow cooker. Then add in the cooked chicken, garlic and chicken broth, and stir to combine. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 2 hours, then add the heavy cream and corn, replace the lid and continue cooking for 30 minutes until warmed through.
How to Make Electric Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot Chicken Vegetable Soup
Switch the instant pot to sauté setting and soften the vegetables. Then add the cooked chicken, garlic and chicken broth, and stir to combine. Close the lid and cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes.
Once it has finished cooking let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then release the remaining pressure via manual release. Stir through the heavy cream and corn then serve.
How to make this soup in the Oven
Again this recipe is easily adapted if you want to make this Chicken Soup in the Oven. I like to use my Dutch oven, but any lidded oven-proof pot will work. Follow the recipe, bring the broth to a boil, then cover the pot with the lid and place in a preheated oven at 300ºF/150ºC for 45 minutes.
Variations & Substitutions
- If you wanted to add raw chicken you could - boneless skinless chicken breast cut up works well, as do chicken thighs. Just adjust the cooking time to make sure its cooked through.
- Load this easy chicken soup up with any other veggies that you and your family enjoy eating.
- For extra greens you could stir through some baby spinach or shredded kale at the end of cooking.
- You could turn this into chicken noodle soup by adding your favorite pasta or traditional egg noodles.
- For a dairy free chicken soup, swap the heavy cream for coconut milk which tastes delicious in this soup.
- For a lighter soup, try using whole milk rather than cream. Or leave the dairy out all together.
- If serving gluten free diners, ensure you use a gluten free chicken stock.
Pro Tips & Tricks
Taste the soup and check for seasoning, if necessary add a little more salt and pepper during cooking.
If you like your broth a bit thinner feel free to add some more chicken or vegetable stock along the way.
For a thicker soup, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or flour with 2 tablespoons of cold milk, then stir it in during the last 5 minutes.
Remeber soup is a great make ahead dish always tastes better next day when all the flavors have had a change to meld together.
If the soup tastes like it’s missing something at the end, add a tiny splash of fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar. Acid cuts through the heavy creaminess and makes the chicken flavor pop.
Short Cut Tip: If you're in a time pinch use ready cut onions. If you can find it in a store you can also use ready but mirapoix mix (onion, celery and carrot pre-chopped). Trader Joe does a great version of this in the produce section.
How To Serve Chicken & Vegetable Soup?
This is a filling bowl of soup that is enough on it's own as you have everything here for a really filling one pot meal. Some biscuits or dinner rolls to help mop up the rich broth is also a great bet. It could also be fun to serve this soup in a bread bowl.
To add more protein, scatter some of my Chick Pea Croutons over the top!
Storage and Freezing Instructions
How to Store Leftovers
Allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. For the best flavor and food safety, enjoy your leftovers within 2 to 3 days.
Can You Freeze Creamy Chicken Soup?
Yes - but we recommend freezing this soup before adding in the cream as dairy can separate when frozen. Then when you are ready to eat, you can defrost the soup, heat it up and add in the cream before serving.
How to Reheat
How to Reheat:
- On the Stovetop: Place your leftover soup in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently to keep the dairy from separating, and heat until it is piping hot all the way through. Be careful not to boil or there is a danger the soup may separate.
- In the Microwave: Transfer a portion to a microwave-safe bowl, cover it with a paper towel to prevent splatters, and heat in 1-minute bursts, stirring in between, until hot.
Leftover Makeover Idea:
Want to turn your leftovers into a brand-new meal? Pour the chicken and veggies and some broth into a baking dish, cover the top with a sheet of store-bought puff pastry, brush it with a little egg wash, and bake at 400°F (200°C) until the pastry is golden brown and puffy. You instantly have a shortcut chicken pot pie!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add pasta or rice?
Yes! However, do not cook the pasta or rice directly in the soup pot if you plan on having leftovers. Grains act like sponges and will absorb all your creamy broth while sitting in the fridge, leaving you with mushy noodles and no liquid. Instead, cook the noodles or rice separately and add a spoonful directly to your serving bowls before ladling the hot soup over the top. If you want a more filling soup you can also add diced potatoes to the vegetable mix.
Can I use frozen vegetables to creamy Chicken and Vegetable soup?
Yes and this is a big reason it's so popular! If you want to skip the prep work, a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (like carrots, corn, peas, and green beans) works beautifully. Just add them into the pot during the last 10 minutes of simmering so they cook through without becoming mushy.
Why did my soup get so thick in the fridge?
Creamy soups (especially those that use flour, cornstarch, or potatoes) will naturally thicken up as they cool down and sit overnight. Don't worry—this is completely normal! When reheating your leftovers, simply stir in a splash of chicken stock, milk, or water to loosen the broth back up to its original consistency.
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What Do You Think?!
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More Easy Soup Recipe Ideas
Printable Recipe
Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Butter - or Olive Oil
- 1 large Onion - diced
- 2 ribs Celery - diced
- 2 medium Carrots - peeled and diced
- 2 cloves Garlic - finely minced
- 3 cups Cooked Chicken - leftover or rotisserie
- 4 cups Chicken Broth - gluten free if needed
- 1 cup Corn - optional
- ½ cup Heavy Cream (Double Cream) - see notes
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper
To Garnish (optional)
- Chopped Fresh Parsley
Instructions
- Melt the butter (olive oil) in a large Dutch Oven or large saucepan with a lid over a medium high heat.
- Fry the diced onion, celery and carrots in the butter stirring occasionally, until soft. This should take around 10 minutes.
- Season well with sea salt and black pepper. Stir in the minced garlic.
- Add the shredded cooked chicken and chicken broth. Stir everything together well.
- Bring the soup to a boil then turn down to a simmer. It should be barely bubbling.
- Add the lid and simmer for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and season again if required.
- Add the corn (optional) and heavy cream and stir.
- Note - If you prefer your soup a little thinner, it's fine to add some more stock here.
- Serve hot sprinkled with chopped parsley (optional).
Jayne says
Great recipe. Super easy to make.
Jo Keohane says
Thanks so much, so glad you like this one.
Cathy says
Delicious!! Quick and easy! Thank you for sharing!
Jo Keohane says
You're so welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it Cathy!!
Ann O'Neill says
Great recipe. Can l make it in my Instant Pot?
Ann.
Jo Keohane says
Thanks Ann! You can definitely make this in the instant pot - just adjust the cooking time. If you look further down the recipe the instructions are there for the instant pot (which I love!) I will paste them below for you too!
Switch the instant pot to sauté setting and soften the vegetables. Then add the cooked chicken, garlic and chicken broth, and stir to combine. Close the lid and cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes.
Once it has finished cooking let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then release the remaining pressure via manual release. Stir through the heavy cream and corn then serve.
Sandra K Hughes says
My husband and I were surprised at how good this simple recipe is. I tweaked it a bit to suit our tastes by adding some bouillon and a few potatoes. We thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Jo Keohane says
Thanks so much Sandra, love hearing that simple can definitely equal good when it comes to food! Thanks so much for your lovely comment and happy cooking!!!
DEBRA SIZEMORE says
Can you use coconut milk instead of heavy cream?
Jo Keohane says
Hi Debra - yes you definitely can and it tastes delicious. Thanks so much for your comment.