The other day I was watching a video that included a recipe for creamy chicken soup. I made it yesterday and changed it up a bit, so I don’t feel like I’m totally copying someone else’s recipe. I changed it to use the Instant Pot to cook the chicken, then poured the broth into a pot to use on the stove.. Also, near the end, I used the immersion blender to make it a bit thicker. I saw some versions of this recipe that called for milk or evaporated milk. I didn’t add any and I think it was great without it.
Addie was here. I told her what we were having and asked her if she wanted to try the soup or if she wanted leftover hamburger steak, rice and gravy. She wanted the hamburger steak. I told her that it isn’t wrong to not like certain foods but it is wrong to not at least try new things, especially when the cook thinks you will like it so I gave her a tiny little prep bowl with about three teaspoons of soup in it. She tried it and wanted more. By the time dinner was over, she asked if there was enough that I could send some home with Nicole so they could have it for dinner last night!
I basically doubled the recipe because I wanted to have some left over. I ended up with three about 3 quarts leftover.
Creamy Chicken Soup
- Immersion Blender, if desired
- 5 cups water
- 2 chicken breasts – I used with bone and skin
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 cup rice, raw
- 1 piece lemongrass, about 2" (optional)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, grated or chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
- salt & pepper to taste
Place water, 1 tsp salt and chicken breasts in a large pot or Dutch Oven. Boil or simmer until the chicken is cooked. It doesn't have to be tender. Remove chicken and allow to cool completely. NOTE: I did this step in the Instant Pot, then poured the broth into a Dutch Oven, and set the chicken aside to cool.
Add the bay leaf and lemongrass.
Add 1 cup uncooked rice and onion to the pot/broth and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes.
Add the carrot and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
While the veggies are cooking, remove the skin and bones from the cooked chicken and cut into small pieces. I pretty much "shaved" off skinny pieces of the chicken.
If you want the soup to be a little thicker, use an immersion blender or potato masher. Do not blend or mass the entire pot – just enough to thicken up the soup. If the soup needs more liquid, add more water.
Add the meat to the soup.
Once the chicken has heated, turn off the burner/heat. Scoop the cream cheese from the package into the hot soup by tablespoons. Do not put the entire block in at once or it will take too long to melt. Stir til the cream cheese has melted.
Remove the bay leaf and lemongrass and serve. Add black pepper. Taste to adjust for seasoning. Grated cheese is optional.
Donna in KS says
For quite some time now, I have added cream cheese to chicken and noodles and other chicken dishes. I add only to mine after I have prepared the servings because husband didn’t like it as much as I! I also use white pepper as too much black pepper didn’t appeal to the grandchildren
judy.blog@gmail.com says
That’s a great idea about disguising the pepper. I really cannot even stand the smell of white pepper so I think I’ve tossed all I had in the cabinet. Black pepper . . I could just about eat by the spoonful. I often open the container just to smell it. If Addie is here, we add pepper to our plates/bowls and I don’t mix it in while cooking.
Dottie says
That looks/sounds delicious!