Description
Comfort meets culinary magic in this hearty chicken potato soup, where tender chunks of chicken and creamy potatoes dance in a rich, soul-warming broth. Spoon by spoon, you’ll savor a bowl of pure comfort that wraps around your senses like a warm embrace.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (or thighs)
- 6 strips thick cut bacon
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- ¾ cup carrots (diced)
- 2 ribs celery (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- Green onions (to garnish)
- 1 ½ lbs yukon gold potatoes (or red potatoes)
Seasonings and Liquids:
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter (not needed if bacon drippings are used)
- 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
- 1–2 teaspoons olive oil
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Render bacon slowly in the soup pot over low heat, cutting strips in half for even cooking. Transfer crisp pieces to a paper towel, reserving two tablespoons of drippings.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, then sear in olive oil until golden brown. Remove and let rest before slicing into bite-sized pieces.
- Utilize bacon drippings to sauté onions, carrots, and celery for five minutes until softened. Incorporate garlic, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings, cooking for an additional two minutes.
- Introduce flour to the vegetable mixture, stirring for two minutes to eliminate raw flour aroma and prepare for thickening.
- Gradually integrate chicken broth, scraping pot bottom to capture flavor-rich brown bits. Smoothly blend in half-and-half while stirring continuously.
- Add diced potatoes and previously seared chicken to the liquid base. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes become tender.
- Lower heat and fold in shredded cheddar cheese until melted and creamy. Incorporate half the bacon bits, reserving remaining pieces for garnishing when serving.
Notes
- Low and slow cooking renders fat perfectly, creating crispy texture and deep flavor without burning.
- Use high heat for golden-brown exterior, ensuring juicy meat that develops rich caramelized notes.
- Sautéing vegetables in bacon drippings amplifies the soup’s overall depth and complexity of taste.
- ooking flour briefly eliminates raw taste and helps create a smooth, velvety soup consistency.
- Scrape browned bits from pot bottom to unlock concentrated flavor molecules that enhance entire dish.
- Cut potatoes uniformly for even cooking, ensuring tender texture throughout the soup.
- Reduce heat when adding cheese to prevent separation and maintain creamy, silky texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 23g
- Cholesterol: 95mg