Why You’ll Love This this Homestyle Chicken Pot Pie Soup
This soup captures all the warm, comforting flavors of chicken pot pie without the fuss of rolling out pastry dough or waiting for a pie to bake.
You get tender vegetables, chunks of savory chicken, and that rich, creamy base that makes you want to curl up with a bowl and forget about everything else for a while.
Plus, it comes together in about 30 minutes, which means you can have that homemade, soul-warming goodness on the table faster than you can say “delivery pizza.”
Ingredients List
This homestyle chicken pot pie soup calls for simple, wholesome ingredients that you probably already have tucked away in your kitchen.
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1/2-2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 (370 ml) can Carnation Evaporated Milk (fat-free)
- The fat-free evaporated milk keeps things lighter while still delivering that creamy richness we’re craving.
- Fresh thyme makes a world of difference over dried, but honestly, if dried is what you’ve got, use about a teaspoon instead.
- Using rotisserie chicken is a total game-changer for busy weeknights, though leftover roasted chicken works beautifully too.
- The frozen peas add a pop of color and sweetness, plus they won’t turn to mush since we’re adding them at the end.
Step by Step Directions
Making this comforting chicken pot pie soup is as easy as sautéing your vegetables, building the base, and letting everything simmer together into creamy perfection. Having the right professional kitchen equipment makes all the difference when preparing this hearty soup efficiently.
- Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large saucepan over high heat.
- Add chopped onion, carrots, celery, red pepper, fresh thyme, salt and pepper.
- Cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add 1 1/2-2 cups cooked chicken and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over everything and stir to coat.
- Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Pour in 4 cups chicken stock and stir, scraping up any cooked bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until vegetables are soft.
- Stir in 1 cup frozen peas and 1 can evaporated milk.
- Heat through until warmed and serve immediately.
Substitutions and Variations
- Spice it up – A pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce can wake up the whole pot, especially if your family thinks “salt and pepper” counts as exotic seasoning.
- Make it heartier – Cooked rice, small pasta shapes, or even dumplings can turn this from soup into a full meal that’ll stick to your ribs.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This soup is practically a meal in itself, but sometimes you want a little something extra to round out the table.
- Crusty bread or dinner rolls – Because honestly, what soup doesn’t benefit from something you can dip, dunk, or use to chase every last drop around the bowl.
- Simple side salad – A basic green salad with vinaigrette cuts through all that creamy richness, plus it makes you feel like you’re being responsible about vegetables.
- Buttermilk biscuits – If you really want to lean into the comfort food atmosphere, warm biscuits are like giving everyone at the table a little edible hug.
- Crackers or oyster crackers – The classic soup sidekick that adds just enough crunch to keep things interesting, and kids love floating them like tiny life rafts.
- Grilled cheese sandwich – Sure, it’s basically doubling down on comfort food, but sometimes your soul needs that kind of commitment to coziness.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
After making countless pots of soup over the years, I’ve picked up a few tricks that’ll make your chicken pot pie soup turn out perfectly every time.
- Don’t skip browning the vegetables – Those five minutes of cooking them until they soften creates a flavor foundation that raw vegetables just can’t match, plus you get those lovely caramelized bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Let the flour cook for that full minute – Raw flour tastes chalky and weird, but cooking it briefly eliminates that unpleasant flavor while helping it blend smoothly with the stock.
- Scrape up every single browned bit – When you add the chicken stock, use your spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan because those stuck-on pieces are pure concentrated flavor waiting to dissolve into your soup.
- Add the evaporated milk at the very end – Dairy can curdle if it boils too hard or cooks too long, so stirring it in during the last few minutes keeps everything silky smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning before serving – Chicken stock varies in saltiness, and vegetables can dilute flavors, so always do a final taste test and add more salt, pepper, or thyme if needed.
- Use rotisserie chicken for easy prep – Nobody’s judging you for taking shortcuts, and store-bought rotisserie chicken saves time while adding extra flavor from all those seasonings and the roasting process.
Nutritional Facts
This comforting soup delivers a balanced mix of protein, vegetables, and essential nutrients while keeping calories reasonable per serving.
- Calories per serving: Approximately 280-320 calories (based on 6 servings)
- Protein: 22-25 grams from chicken and evaporated milk, supporting muscle maintenance and satiety
- Carbohydrates: 18-22 grams primarily from vegetables and milk, providing steady energy
- Fat: 8-12 grams, mostly from canola oil and small amounts from chicken
- Fiber: 4-5 grams from carrots, celery, red pepper, and peas supporting digestive health
- Sodium: 600-800mg per serving (varies greatly based on chicken stock brand and added salt)
- Vitamin A: High content from carrots and red pepper, promoting eye health and immune function
- Vitamin C: Good source from red pepper and peas, supporting immune system and collagen production
- Potassium: Moderate levels from vegetables and chicken, important for heart health and muscle function
- Calcium: Enhanced by evaporated milk, contributing to bone health
- Iron: Present from chicken and peas, supporting oxygen transport in blood
- Low in saturated fat: Thanks to lean chicken and fat-free evaporated milk instead of heavy cream
Fun “Did You Know?”
While chicken pot pie soup feels like a modern comfort food creation, pot pie itself dates back to medieval England where bakers literally used live birds as both ingredient and entertainment—the birds would fly out when the crust was cut, inspiring the nursery rhyme “Sing a Song of Sixpence.”
The transition from pie to soup happened during the Great Depression when home cooks stretched ingredients further by adding more broth and fewer expensive pastry components.
I find it fascinating that today’s warming bowl of comfort actually emerged from necessity, proving resourceful cooks can transform scarcity into something delicious.
