Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup
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Velvety creamy mushroom soup! So cozy, comforting, hearty. A 30 min recipe, truly weeknight-dinner worthy!
Don’t mind me as I drown myself in this epic creaminess in the middle of winter. A fun spin on chicken soup, this is made even creamier with a quick roux, along with all the little cremini mushrooms, tender carrots/celery/onion, garlicky-thyme brothy-goodness.
With pantry staples like chicken stock, this comes together lightening fast (definitely weeknight worthy). All you need is some crusty bread off to the side to dunk into this cozy pot of earthy, wholesome comfort food.
Feel free to add a splash or more of that half and half, giving that luscious creamy texture we all love and need sometimes (definitely fewer calories than cream). If freezing, omit the dairy completely to avoid graininess and separating, adding it in right before serving.
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the half and half (dairy soups tend to separate when frozen) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding half and half when serving.
Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup half and half, or more, as needed*
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
- Melt butter in the stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock, bay leaf and chicken, and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in half and half until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more half and half as needed until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Quick, easy, and wonderful. I added a little more seasonings, such as oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder, to it to add some additional flavour, but a great recipe.
This was so delicious
This was EXCELLENT!!!! Because my family is gluten free and lactose free, I substituted cornstarch for the flour and Califa Coconut Milk and Coconut Water Blend and it was EXCELLENT!!!!! Family that can have dairy added in parmesan grated real cheese and said it made it DREAMY!!!!! This is a definite keeper. My husband LOVED it and has asked for it over and over again. We never have leftovers, sadly!!!!!
Also amazing! Made the thai shrimp and this one on the same day because I have picky soup eaters. Anyway, they loved this one, even the child that doesn’t actually like mushrooms. I added some leftover basmati rice for the second helpings. For my helping, I added raw spinach to my portion for extra veggies. It immediately wilts when added to the hot soup, but keeps some texture.
Really yummy!!! And fast and easy – thanks!
SO good!! Comfort food…it was a hit with the family.
Damn! This is delicious. I used heavy cream – had it in the fridge, and totally messed up the instruction sequence due to distractions, but the soup is DELICIOUS! Thank you!
Best soup ever. I added jalapeño and crushed pepper to make it pop. 5 star rating
Question – can you make this in a crockpot? Thinking the only change would be to add in the 1/2 & 1/2 at the end…. but would love your opinion. Thank you!
I subbed 3 Tbsp tapioca flour to make it gluten free and through in some cauliflower to add more veggies. Turned out great!
I know this soup will be incredibly delicious! My question is , can this be made ahead and frozen.. homemade gifts time.. want to make various mushroom recipes so she can freeze and have readily available.. thank you..
Im wondering the same…
I added whipping cream instead of half and half and used some red pepper flakes to heat it up some. Family loved it!
This is now a staple in my “Warm my Loves Heart” recipes. I made this for my boyfriend (the first time February 2018) and I doubled the recipe being that he loves mushrooms and creamy recipes. I served him one bowl with fresh bread from my local bakery (Genova Bakery in Stockton, CA) and he was in love. He asked if I left him any for work (being that he works in the ever cold San Francisco, CA and lives off of a lake). I said “Absolutely, I made you an entire pot!” I will continue to make this time and time again. Thank you for this very Yumm-O recipe =)
It tastes really delicious!
I will add some potato next time.
Left out the half and half and added wild sprouted rice. My family and friends loved this soup! Thank you for an excellent healthy recipe!
This soup was SO delicious. I added some cooked wild rice. I sliced the carrots very thin using my Cuisinart. Next time I might add a splash of white or sherry wine. This is definitely a keeper.
My new favorite recipe!
I was happily surprised at how flavorful this recipe came out for a quick soup. Had to use what I had on hand – no celery, no mushroom, no fresh rosemary. I sauteed the carrots in the dutch oven for about 7 minutes before adding the onions, garlic, etc. to soften. I added a splash of white wine and Worcestershire sauce while the carrots were cooking (basically deglazing the pot – cooked it all down). I also used herbes de provence instead of straight thyme. I added about 3/4 c. extra water for the broth and 1/2 c. quick-cooking barley. Also added frozen peas because my toddler loves peas 🙂 I only used 1/4 c. half and half and a splash of 2% milk. As you can see, this recipe is very flexible! It came out REALLY good. Toddler ate it!
Made this tonight, the only change I would make is to add some kale or spinach next time.
My husband and I were in the mood for soup and I came across this recipe. It was perfect because this was all simple ingredients we already had in our fridge and pantry. I really love hearty soup so I chopped the veggies a little larger and only diced the onion. I used heavy cream and even added a sprinkle of hondashi (bonito stock). My father is Japanese so hondashi is a staple that’s always in my pantry! It adds a ton of depth and a slight smokey flavor to soups and sauces, I recommend trying it if you are unfamiliar! A little bit goes a long way Yum
I’ve made this a few times and never change anything. It’s a wonderful recipe that my kids love. Fresh rosemary and chicken is a great combo!