Chicken Pot Pie Soup

• Ingredient Notes
• Rotisserie Chicken Shortcut
• Gnocchi Options
• Vegetable Add-Ins
• Adjusting Thickness
• Storage & Reheating

Chicken pot pie always hits the spot for me, but let’s be real, making the crust from scratch isn’t always in the cards. This soup version gives you all that classic, comfort-food flavor with a little less work. It’s rich, creamy, packed with tender chicken and veggies, and every bite tastes like chicken soup for the soul.

If you are up for it, you can always make a whole chicken pot pie. It’s still pretty easy.

A lot of recipes use potatoes for the “pie crust” element or canned biscuit dough, but that’s just not my style at all. I thought about adding some homemade biscuit dough to act as dumplings, but an even better idea came to mind: Gnocchi! These little potato dumplings are sold dry in the pasta aisle in most grocery stores. You get that same soft, doughy “pie crust” goodness, and honestly, it might be even better.

Ingredient Notes

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast: You’ll need about 1 1/2 pounds. Chicken thighs work too if you prefer dark meat. Just trim off any excess fat.
• Olive Oil: Just a bit to brown the chicken. You can sub in avocado oil or any neutral oil you’ve got on hand.
• Salted Butter: If you only have unsalted, that’ll work just fine.
• White Onion: A medium onion is perfect here. Yellow onion works too if that’s what you’ve got.
• Carrots: Use 4 medium carrots. You can dice or slice them, whatever texture you prefer in your soup.
• Celery Ribs: Go for 4 ribs, sliced.
• All-Purpose Flour: This thickens the soup and gives it that creamy pot pie texture. Don’t skip the cooking time, it removes the raw flour taste.
• Minced Garlic: About 2 tablespoons, which is roughly 6 cloves. Use fresh if possible, but jarred garlic works too. It just has a slightly more bitter flavor.
• Chicken Broth: Go with low sodium if you want more control over the salt. Store-bought or homemade both work great. I also love Better Than Boullioun.
• Dried Thyme: Just a touch goes a long way to add that signature pot pie flavor.
• Heavy Cream: This makes the soup rich and silky. You could swap in half-and-half, but it won’t be quite as thick.
• Frozen Peas: Toss them in straight from the freezer. No need to thaw. Canned peas will work too, but they’re much softer.
• Gnocchi: This is your pie crust stand-in! Look for it in the pasta aisle, typically vacuum-packed.

Rotisserie Chicken Shortcut

Rotisserie chicken makes this soup even quicker to get on the table, plus it’s what’s known as a “loss leader” meaning grocery stores sell it at a loss so it’s one of the best bargains you can find.

You’ll skip the browning step at the beginning. Instead, go ahead and start by sautéing the veggies in butter, then continue on with the recipe. Stir in about 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken when the recipe calls for adding the cooked chicken back in.

Since the chicken’s already done, you’ll just want to simmer the soup long enough to heat everything through and let the flavors come together.

Gnocchi Options

Gnocchi is the secret ingredient that gives this soup that “pie crust” vibe without any baking. You’ll usually find gnocchi in vacuum-sealed packages in the pasta aisle, but refrigerated or frozen gnocchi works too. Shelf-stable gnocchi is super convenient and cooks right in the soup in about 5 minutes.

If you’re using frozen gnocchi, there’s no need to thaw it. Just toss it into the simmering soup and give it a couple of extra minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the gnocchi float to the top and are soft and pillowy.

You can also find gluten-free gnocchi at many grocery stores. With gluten-free, you just want to cook it according to the package directions before adding it in at the very end.

Vegetable Add-Ins

This soup is super flexible when it comes to veggies. If you’ve got extras on hand or just want to boost the nutrition, here are some easy add-in options:

Mushrooms: Add 1 cup of sliced mushrooms with the carrots and celery. Sauté until softened and lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Corn: Stir in 1 cup of frozen or canned corn when you add the peas and gnocchi. No extra cook time needed.

Baby Spinach: Add 2 cups of fresh baby spinach at the very end, right before serving. It’ll wilt in just a minute or two.

Diced Potatoes: Peel and dice 1 medium russet or Yukon gold potato into small cubes. Add it in with the broth so it has time to soften, about 15 minutes of simmering should do it.

Green Beans: Use 1 cup of chopped fresh or frozen green beans. Add them with the carrots and celery so they cook through and stay tender-crisp.

Just be careful not to overload the pot. About 2 cups of extra veggies total is a good rule of thumb to keep the balance right.

Adjusting Thickness

This soup is designed to be creamy and hearty, but you can totally tweak the texture based on how you like it:

To Make It Thicker: If you want a thicker soup, whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Stir it into the soup after adding the cream and gnocchi, and simmer for an extra 2 to 3 minutes until thickened. You can also reduce the broth by 1 cup at the start for a naturally thicker result.

To Make It Thinner: If your soup turns out thicker than you’d like (especially if it sat for a bit), just stir in an extra 1 to 2 cups of chicken broth or water. Add a little at a time until it’s the consistency you want, then warm it through before serving.