Hen Pot Pie Soup

Hen pot pie at all times hits the spot for me, however let’s be actual, making the crust from scratch isn’t at all times within the playing cards. This soup model offers you all that basic, comfort-food taste with rather less work. It’s wealthy, creamy, filled with tender hen and veggies, and each chunk tastes like hen soup for the soul.

In case you are up for it, you may at all times make an entire chicken pot pie. It’s nonetheless fairly straightforward.

Why My Recipe

• All of the consolation meals flavors of hen pot pie in soup type!
• Gnocchi is used as a handy choice to mimic a pie crust, and it is likely to be even higher.
• Made with on a regular basis components and prepared in beneath 45 minutes.

A variety of recipes use potatoes for the “pie crust” factor or canned biscuit dough, however that’s simply not my model in any respect. I thought of including some home made biscuit dough to behave as dumplings, however an excellent higher concept got here to thoughts: Gnocchi! These little potato dumplings are bought dry within the pasta aisle in most grocery shops. You get that very same mushy, doughy “pie crust” goodness, and actually, it is likely to be even higher.

Ingredient Notes

• Boneless Skinless Hen Breast: You’ll want about 1 1/2 kilos. Hen thighs work too when you desire darkish meat. Simply trim off any extra fats.
• Olive Oil: Only a bit to brown the hen. You possibly can sub in avocado oil or any impartial oil you’ve acquired available.
• Salted Butter: In the event you solely have unsalted, that’ll work simply positive.
• White Onion: A medium onion is ideal right here. Yellow onion works too if that’s what you’ve acquired.
• Carrots: Use 4 medium carrots. You possibly can cube or slice them, no matter texture you favor in your soup.
• Celery Ribs: Go for 4 ribs, sliced.
• All-Objective Flour: This thickens the soup and offers it that creamy pot pie texture. Don’t skip the cooking time, it removes the uncooked flour style.
• Minced Garlic: About 2 tablespoons, which is roughly 6 cloves. Use recent if potential, however jarred garlic works too. It simply has a barely extra bitter taste.
• Hen Broth: Go together with low sodium in order for you extra management over the salt. Retailer-bought or home made each work nice. I additionally love Higher Than Boullioun.
• Dried Thyme: Only a contact goes a great distance so as to add that signature pot pie taste.
• Heavy Cream: This makes the soup wealthy and silky. You can swap in half-and-half, but it surely received’t be fairly as thick.
• Frozen Peas: Toss them in straight from the freezer. No must thaw. Canned peas will work too, however they’re a lot softer.
• Gnocchi: That is your pie crust stand-in! Search for it within the pasta aisle, usually vacuum-packed.

Rotisserie Hen Shortcut

Rotisserie hen makes this soup even faster to get on the desk, plus it’s what’s generally known as a “loss chief” that means grocery shops promote it at a loss so it’s among the best bargains yow will discover.

You’ll skip the browning step in the beginning. As a substitute, go forward and begin by sautéing the veggies in butter, then proceed on with the recipe. Stir in about 3 cups of shredded rotisserie hen when the recipe requires including the cooked hen again in.

For the reason that hen’s already carried out, you’ll simply wish to simmer the soup lengthy sufficient to warmth all the pieces via and let the flavors come collectively.

Gnocchi Choices

Gnocchi is the key ingredient that provides this soup that “pie crust” vibe with none baking. You’ll normally discover gnocchi in vacuum-sealed packages within the pasta aisle, however refrigerated or frozen gnocchi works too. Shelf-stable gnocchi is tremendous handy and cooks proper within the soup in about 5 minutes.

In the event you’re utilizing frozen gnocchi, there’s no must thaw it. Simply toss it into the simmering soup and provides it a few additional minutes. You’ll realize it’s prepared when the gnocchi float to the highest and are mushy and pillowy.

You may as well discover gluten-free gnocchi at many grocery shops. With gluten-free, you simply wish to prepare dinner it in keeping with the package deal instructions earlier than including it in on the very finish.

Vegetable Add-Ins

This soup is tremendous versatile in the case of veggies. In the event you’ve acquired extras available or simply wish to increase the diet, listed here are some straightforward add-in choices:

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

Corn: Stir in 1 cup of frozen or canned corn whenever you add the peas and gnocchi. No additional prepare dinner time wanted.

Child Spinach: Add 2 cups of recent child spinach on the very finish, proper earlier than serving. It’ll wilt in only a minute or two.

Diced Potatoes: Peel and cube 1 medium russet or Yukon gold potato into small cubes. Add it in with the broth so it has time to melt, about quarter-hour of simmering ought to do it.

Inexperienced Beans: Use 1 cup of chopped recent or frozen inexperienced beans. Add them with the carrots and celery so that they prepare dinner via and keep tender-crisp.

Simply watch out to not overload the pot. About 2 cups of additional veggies complete is an efficient rule of thumb to maintain the stability proper.

Adjusting Thickness

This soup is designed to be creamy and hearty, however you may completely tweak the feel primarily based on the way you prefer it:

To Make It Thicker: If you’d like a thicker soup, whisk collectively 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of chilly water. Stir it into the soup after including the cream and gnocchi, and simmer for an additional 2 to three minutes till thickened. You may as well scale back the broth by 1 cup initially for a naturally thicker end result.

To Make It Thinner: In case your soup seems thicker than you’d like (particularly if it sat for a bit), simply stir in an additional 1 to 2 cups of hen broth or water. Add a bit at a time till it’s the consistency you need, then heat it via earlier than serving.