Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Why This Works: Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie Soup

• Raw chicken cooks right in the broth. It flavors the soup and shreds easily.
• Roux made on the stove. Butter and flour cooked in a pan thicken the soup evenly, with no raw flour taste or lumps.
• Milk and cream. Creamy and rich, without being heavy.
• Thyme and poultry seasoning. That classic pot pie flavor.
• Lemon at the end. It brightens the creamy soup so it doesn't taste flat.

What You'll Need

• Chicken: Breasts or thighs. Thighs stay juicier.
• Yukon Gold potatoes: Cut into ½-inch cubes.
• Carrots, celery, and onion: The classic pot pie vegetables.
• Chicken broth: Low-sodium, so you control the salt.
• Thyme, poultry seasoning, and bay leaf: The pot pie seasoning.
• Butter, flour, milk, and heavy cream: The creamy roux that thickens the soup.
• Frozen peas: Added at the end.
• Lemon juice and parsley: Fresh flavor to finish.

How to Make It

Add the chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, broth, thyme, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and bay leaf to a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours or HIGH 3–4 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F and the vegetables are tender. Take out the chicken and the bay leaf. Shred the chicken with 2 forks.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1–2 minutes until lightly golden. Slowly whisk in the milk and cream until smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Stir the roux mixture into the slow cooker. Add the shredded chicken and frozen peas.

Cover and cook on HIGH 20–30 minutes, stirring once, until thick and creamy. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Taste and add salt. Serve with biscuits or pastry dippers.

Troubleshooting

• Bland soup: the most common problem. Creamy soups need more salt than you'd think. Taste at the end, add salt, and finish with lemon.
• Thin, watery soup: Not enough thickener, or the roux wasn't cooked in. Make the roux on the stove and give it 20–30 minutes on HIGH.
• Mushy vegetables: Cut too small or cooked too long. Stick to ½-inch pieces and 6 hours on LOW.
• Lumpy soup: Flour added straight to the slow cooker. Always whisk it into a roux first.
• Gray peas: Added at the start. Put them in at the end.

The "Pie Crust" Part: Dipper Options

Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie Soup Substitutions

• Heavy cream: Use half-and-half or more milk.
• Potatoes: Use 2 cups cauliflower florets for a lower-carb soup.
• Chicken: Use leftover turkey after Thanksgiving.
• Poultry seasoning: Use ½ tsp sage plus ½ tsp rosemary.

Variations

• Turkey pot pie soup: Use leftover turkey and turkey broth.
• Mushroom: Add 8 oz sliced mushrooms with the vegetables.
• Corn and green beans: Add 1 cup each with the peas.
• Extra creamy: Stir in 4 oz softened cream cheese with the roux.
• Stovetop: Simmer everything in a Dutch oven 25 minutes, then add the roux, chicken, and peas for 10 minutes.

Storing

Refrigerate up to 4 days. The soup thickens as it cools, so add broth or milk when reheating. Warm it on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often, or microwave individual bowls in 1-minute bursts.

For freezing, freeze the soup before adding the roux and cream, for up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat, and then finish with the roux, cream, and peas.

More Pot Pie Comfort Food

Love pot pie flavors? Try chicken pot pie casserole with crescent rolls or puff pastry chicken pot pie. For more cozy soups, see rotisserie chicken noodle soup and Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup.