Chicken Pot Pie Soup

There's something about spooning into a bowl where the soup meets a warm, buttery biscuit that makes everything feel right in the world. My neighbor Sarah brought over this exact dish one evening when I'd had a particularly rough week, and I realized then that comfort food isn't really about fancy techniques or rare ingredients—it's about someone understanding what you need before you even ask. The way the biscuits soften just slightly into the creamy broth, releasing little pockets of butter as they sink, felt like a hug in a bowl.

I made this for a small dinner party last winter, and my friend Marcus—who usually picks at food—went back for a second bowl. That's when I knew I had stumbled onto something genuinely special, the kind of recipe that doesn't need to be complicated to land.

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter and olive oil: Using both gives you a deeper, richer base without letting either flavor dominate.
• Yellow onion, carrots, and celery: This holy trinity is the backbone of every good soup, and dicing them the same size helps them cook evenly.
• Garlic: Three cloves is enough to whisper through the broth without overpowering the delicate chicken.
• All-purpose flour: This acts as a thickener and gives the soup body without making it feel heavy.
• Low-sodium chicken broth: Go for quality here since it's the foundation of everything that follows.
• Cooked chicken breast, shredded: Rotisserie chicken works beautifully if you're short on time, and honestly, nobody will know the difference.
• Frozen peas and corn: These stay brighter and more tender than fresh in this application, believe it or not.
• Yukon Gold potato: These are waxy and hold their shape, so your soup stays silky rather than turning to mush.
• Heavy cream: Just half a cup is enough to add richness without making the broth too thick or heavy.
• Dried thyme and parsley: Fresh herbs wilt too quickly here, so dried actually works better for this particular dish.
• Cold butter, cubed: Keep it cold, and you'll get flaky, tender biscuits instead of dense ones.
• Buttermilk: The tanginess balances the richness and makes the biscuits rise beautifully.

Instructions

Heat your base and soften the vegetables:

In your Dutch oven, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat until it's shimmering and fragrant. Add your diced onion, carrots, and celery, then let them soften for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally so they cook evenly. You want them tender but not mushy.

Wake up the garlic and bloom the flour:

Stir in minced garlic and let it cook for about a minute until you really smell it. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes to cook off the raw taste—you're creating what's called a roux.

Add the broth slowly and carefully:

Pour in your chicken broth gradually while whisking constantly to avoid lumps forming. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, which takes about 3 to 4 minutes.

Simmer the potatoes and seasonings:

Add diced Yukon Gold potato along with thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Let this simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are mostly tender but still have a little bite.

Bring in the chicken and vegetables:

Stir in your shredded chicken, frozen peas, and corn, then simmer for another 5 minutes until everything is heated through and tender. The vegetables should still have some color and texture.

Finish with cream and taste:

Pour in heavy cream, stir gently, then taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat and let it sit while you make the biscuits.

Make the biscuit dough:

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Cut cold cubed butter into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter or just your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces still visible.

Add buttermilk gently:

Pour in buttermilk and stir just until the dough comes together—overworking it makes tough, dense biscuits. Stop as soon as you don't see dry flour.

Top and bake:

Drop large spoonfuls of biscuit dough over the surface of the soup, spacing them so they have room to puff up. Brush the tops lightly with extra buttermilk, then transfer to a 400°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Rest before serving:

Let it cool for a few minutes so the biscuits set and the soup cools just enough to eat safely.

Pin It

There's a moment when the soup is simmering and you're waiting for the oven to finish its job, and your kitchen smells like home. That's when I realized this dish isn't just dinner—it's the edible version of standing still for a while.

The Perfect Container

A Dutch oven or deep oven-safe pot is crucial here because you need something that can go from stovetop to oven without any fussing around. If you don't have one, use your largest oven-safe skillet or even a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, though you'll lose some of that one-pot magic. The beauty of using one vessel is that there are fewer dishes to clean up afterward, which somehow makes the whole experience feel more relaxing.

Customizing Your Soup

I've made this recipe probably a dozen different ways at this point, and it never fails me. You can add a splash of dry sherry or white wine to deepen the flavors, swap in diced mushrooms to make it vegetarian, or use the biscuit dough on top of other soups entirely. Some people use fresh thyme instead of dried if they have it on hand, and the biscuits become slightly more delicate and floral.

Making It Your Own

The real secret to keeping this dish feeling fresh in your rotation is allowing yourself to adjust it based on what's in your fridge and what you're craving. Rotisserie chicken saves real time, diced turkey works just as well, and even shrimp could make an interesting variation. Serve it with a simple green salad, a crusty bread for soaking up the broth, or just on its own because honestly, you don't need anything else.

• Save the leftover biscuit dough for breakfast and bake it separately with a little jam if you have extra.
• This soup actually tastes better the next day as the flavors meld, so don't hesitate to make it ahead.
• If the soup gets too thick after sitting, thin it with a splash of broth or cream before reheating.

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This is the kind of recipe that people ask for, that shows up in worn and stained copies in the back of your favorite cookbooks, that tastes like someone cared enough to spend time in the kitchen. Make it for the people who matter to you.

Recipe FAQs

→ What vegetables work best in this chicken soup?

Carrots, celery, onion, peas, corn, and diced potatoes create a balanced mix of textures and flavors, enhancing the dish's comforting profile.

→ How do I make the biscuit topping tender and flaky?

Use cold butter cut into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then gently combine with cold buttermilk without overmixing.

→ Can I prepare this dish ahead of time?

Yes, the soup base can be made in advance and reheated before adding the biscuit topping to bake fresh just prior to serving.

→ What cooking tools are essential for this meal?

A large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven is key for starting the soup on the stove and finishing it in the oven with the biscuit topping.

→ How can I adjust the seasoning to suit my taste?

Season with salt, pepper, and herbs like thyme and parsley during simmering, and taste as you go to create a well-balanced flavor.