Creamy Chicken Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 2 largechicken thighs
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 2carrots
• 2 stickscelery
• 1onion
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 250 gmushrooms
• 1 tspmixed herbs
• 1bay leaf
• 1 tbspplain flour
• 500 mlstock
• 120 mldouble cream
• to tasteblack pepper and salt
• to tastechopped parsley

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the chicken

   Cut the chicken into small pieces. Heat half the olive oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the chicken, stirring, until it is no longer pink and begins to colour. If using leftover chicken, skip this step.

2. 2

   Prepare the vegetables

   Peel and chop the carrots, onion and celery into pieces about 0.5 cm (¼ inch) across, keeping them roughly similar in size. If using frozen soffritto, let it defrost. Peel and chop the garlic, then slice the mushrooms.

3. 3

   Sauté the vegetables

   Heat the remaining olive oil in a heavy pot with a lid. Add the carrots, celery and onion and cook for 5–10 minutes, until fragrant and the onion is beginning to turn golden. Add the garlic, mushrooms, mixed herbs and bay leaf, and cook for a few more minutes.

4. 4

   Stir in the flour

   Add the chicken to the pot, sprinkle over the flour and stir until it coats the ingredients without forming lumps. Cook for another 2–3 minutes to cook the flour.

5. 5

   Add stock and simmer

   Pour in the stock gradually, stirring continuously; the mixture will be thick at first, so keep adding the liquid and stirring to prevent lumps. Add a little less liquid than you think you will need, adding more later if required. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft and the chicken is tender.

6. 6

   Stir in cream

   Stir in the cream and warm the soup gently until just below a simmer. Avoid boiling it, which can cause the cream to curdle. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. 7

   Garnish and serve

   Stir through the chopped parsley and serve.

What is creamy chicken mushroom soup?

This is a familiar home-style soup combining chicken, mushrooms and aromatic vegetables in a cream-enriched stock. Rather than belonging to one specific culinary tradition, it draws on the simple, adaptable style of homemade soups.

Here, flour thickens the stock while the vegetables simmer until very soft. Cream is stirred in at the end to give the broth a smooth finish.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 207 calories, 9g protein, 8g carbs, 16g fat.

The carrots, onion and flour provide most of the carbohydrate, while the olive oil and double cream contribute much of the fat. Chicken supplies protein, with smaller amounts also coming from the other ingredients. Pair a bowl with extra vegetables or a side salad for a more vegetable-forward plate.

Build flavour from the vegetables

Even pieces: Cut the carrots, celery and onion to roughly the same size so they soften at a similar pace. The recipe suggests pieces about 0.5 cm across.

Golden onion: Give the vegetables 5–10 minutes in the pot before adding the garlic and mushrooms. This lets them become fragrant and gives the onion time to begin colouring.

Brown the chicken first

Fresh chicken: Sauté the small pieces in half the oil until they are no longer pink and have started to colour. This first stage gives the chicken a head start before it simmers in the soup.

Leftovers: Already-cooked chicken can go straight into the pot later, as directed in the method. Take care not to overcook it during the simmer.

Thicken without lumps

Flour coating: Sprinkle the flour over the chicken and vegetables, then stir until it is evenly distributed. Cook it for 2–3 minutes before adding the stock.

Gradual stock: Add the stock slowly while stirring, since the mixture will initially become very thick. Start with slightly less liquid than you expect to need; you can loosen the soup later if necessary.

Check the texture and doneness

Soft vegetables: After about 20 minutes of gentle simmering, the vegetables should be very tender and the chicken cooked through. Keep the heat low and check that the soup is not boiling hard.

Creamy finish: Once the cream is added, warm the soup to just below a simmer. Avoiding a boil helps keep the cream smooth.

Serve it simply

Parsley: Stir the chopped parsley through just before serving for a fresh herbal note.

On the side: Serve the soup on its own as a bowl meal, or with bread for dipping. A simple salad or extra vegetables can round out the meal.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cut the vegetables to similar sizes so they cook evenly.
• Stir continuously as you add the stock to help prevent flour lumps.
• Begin with slightly less stock than you think you need and adjust the thickness at the end.
• Keep the soup at a gentle simmer while the vegetables and chicken cook.
• Warm the soup gently after adding cream rather than letting it boil.
• If using leftover chicken, skip the initial browning stage.

Variations

• Use leftover chicken: Skip the first cooking stage and add the cooked chicken when the method calls for it.
• Try frozen soffritto: Defrost it first and use it in place of the chopped carrots, celery and onion.
• Adjust the herbs: Use a different dried herb blend in place of the mixed herbs.
• Make it thinner: Stir in a little more stock if the soup is thicker than you prefer.
• Finish with parsley: Add the chopped parsley just before serving for a fresh herbal finish.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Uneven vegetable pieces: Cut them to roughly the same size so they soften at a similar rate.
• Adding stock all at once: Pour it in gradually while stirring to reduce the chance of lumps.
• Skipping the flour cook: Stir the flour through and cook it for 2–3 minutes before adding stock.
• Boiling the soup hard: Keep it at a gentle simmer so the vegetables soften without vigorous bubbling.
• Boiling after adding cream: Heat only to just below a simmer to help prevent curdling.
• Adding too much stock early: Start with less and thin the soup later if needed.

How to store

Cool the soup promptly and store it in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan until piping hot, stirring and avoiding a hard boil. It can also be frozen; thaw it in the fridge and reheat gently, noting that the cream may change texture slightly.

Frequently asked questions