CHICKEN POT PIE SOUP
I was SO hungry for chicken pot pie. In a crust or in a bowl, the whole recipe just screamed dairy and gluten, though, and you know how it is when you have a hankering for something and you want it to taste just so but when you have to adapt here and adjust there, it ends up losing something and being a tastebud disappointment. Well, not this recipe - it was a home-run! Really, I should probably call it “stoup” because it’s that hearty. Serve this classic comfort food with (gluten free) biscuits or a slice of homemade bread and it will keep the hungries away for hours.
Servings: 8-10
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Skill level: Easy
INGREDIENTS
OLIVE OIL, approx. 1 TB.
1 cup chopped ONION
4 cloves GARLIC, minced
1/2 cup chopped CELERY, optional
2 pounds CHICKEN THIGHS, cubed
2 cups cubed POTATOES (peeling optional)
10 ounces frozen PEAS & CARROTS
5 ounces frozen CORN
LIQUID (water or broth of choice), about 4 cups
10 Tablespoons BUTTER or OIL
1/2 teaspoon dried ROSEMARY
1/2 teaspoon dried SAGE
¾ cup ALL PURPOSE FLOUR or preferred GF FLOUR ALTERNATIVE
1/2 quart (2 cups) “½ ‘n ½” or MILK/DAIRY ALTERNATIVE
SALT & PEPPER, to taste
DIRECTIONS
In a 6-8 quart soup pot, sauté onion, garlic, and celery, if using, in olive oil for a few minutes to release the flavors. Do not overcook. Lightly salt.
Mix in chicken and sauté on all sides until opaque. It does not need to be completely cooked through at this stage.
Add potatoes and stir to combine. Lightly salt again and cook until potatoes are hot.
Stir in frozen vegetables.
Add enough liquid of choice to cover vegetables and chicken.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. Take care not to over cook the chicken, though, so it remains tender instead of getting rubbery.
Sprinkle in the herbs an mix well. Simmer to allow the herbs to infuse the broth and while you work on step 8.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, make a roux: melt the butter or oil and flour and whisk until smooth. You do not have to brown it.
Add the ½ ‘n ½ (or milk/dairy alternative) to the roux and continue whisking until smooth and the mixture is thick and smooth.
Add the cream sauce to the vegetable and chicken mixture, combine thoroughly, and heat through.
Adjust soup seasonings, adding pepper to taste.
Keep warm until serving but do not boil.
Top with favorite garnishes, if desired. See Notes/Variations for suggestions.
Refrigerate any leftovers.
NOTES/VARIATIONS
This recipe has some flexibility. Here are some ideas to get your wheels turning:
When sautéing, swap butter or coconut oil for the olive oil or use a combination.
You can “ish” the measurements and adjust up or down to your liking the amount of vegetables. Why not try parsnips along with or in place of the carrots? Wish there was more corn? Put in extra! Don’t like potatoes? Okay, leave them…I won’t tell!
Substitute chicken for turkey.
Go with breasts instead of thighs.
Red potatoes (unpeeled) taste delicious but whatever your favorite tater is will be perfect.
Prefer a vegetarian/vegan version? Use veggies and/or tofu along with olive or coconut oil, and a favorite non-dairy milk. If using oil for the roux, start with 1/2 cup of flour and add up to 1/4 more, as needed, to reach desired consistency. Hint: liquid coconut oil has zero taste.
Milk or milk alternatives work well in place of all of the ½ ‘n ½ or mixed with cream (to equal 1 quart). For instance, 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup regular or alternative milk will be like homemade ½ ‘n ½. Conversely, you can simply use 2 cups of a milk alternative (which is what I do - my favorite in this recipe is coconut milk). Make sure that any alternatives do not contain carrageenan or other undesirable ingredients. Really, if you are purchasing coconut milk for example, the ingredients should read: coconut milk. That’s it.
Gluten Free All Purpose or other variety of flour substitutes are just as effective for the roux. Some, like a G/F AP flour don’t usually contribute any flavor while others may offer a mild, additional (but typically pleasant) taste.
Liquid alternatives in place of water include but aren’t limited to:
A potato soup type broth for the liquid (e.g. Imagine Potato and Leek Vegan, Gluten free) will make it extra rich. Don’t omit the roux, though.
Homemade vegetable or potassium broth
Make it even heartier and definitely more interesting by adding in properly prepared mushrooms, cubed zucchini, peas, prepared quinoa, cooked bacon, or ham.
Not only are there number of toppings that can enhance or personalize this soup, there are also lots of toppings that can make serving every bowl extra special. Here are just a few:
Chopped chives
Dash of hot sauce or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a bit of pizzaz
Shredded cheddar cheese
Can’t “do” cheese? While the soup is perfectly tasty without cheese, Violife brand of vegan cheeze is a surprisingly good substitute. It even melts a bit for that gooey texture. Some folks who can’t tolerate regular dairy do very well with goat’s milk or raw dairy cheeses. Most grocery stores carry at least a few options. If none of those work for you, and you still want that cheesy flavor, nutritional yeast is just that with the added bonus of naturally occurring B vitamins.
Perfect for a party, just keep warm on the stove or in a crockpot. Display a variety of toppings and guests can make their own unique soup!
In a hurry? Head to the produce section of your local grocery store and pick up pre-cut potatoes (packaged; refrigerator section), onions, and celery. You can even try using diced, frozen hash browns in a pinch.
This recipe doubles well and leftovers are equally as delicious.
Serve with gluten free biscuits, homemade Potato Flake Sourdough or Artisan Bread or make larger buns, hollow them out, and use them as edible bowls!
As articulated in the What’s for Dinner article, always aim for the highest quality ingredients.
CREDITS/REFERENCES
Thumbnail photo credit: Original, untouched photo can be found here: nondon.net
I used my New England Clam Chowder recipe as the inspiration and then applied common seasonings found in many chicken pot pie dishes.