Name: Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 140 min
Total time: 145 min
Ingredients: 6 celery stalks (including leaves); 3 carrots (including tops); 1 yellow onion; 1 whole stewing hen; 2 leeks (cleaned); 3 whole cloves (); 2 tablespoons salted butter; 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 6 egg yolks (beaten); 2 cups heavy cream; 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup is nothing like the pale, gloopy, gravy-like mess that comes out of a can; rather, it's an utterly delightful, soothing, and rich-flavored soup dotted with fresh vegetables and herbs and very finely minced chicken.

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Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

Growing up, all I knew of creamed soups is that they came from a red- and-white tin that, when opened, would yield a bouncy gelatinous goop that served as the glue that bound the casseroles we would take to church events. This soup is not one of those; rather, it’s a lovely, comforting blend of aromatic vegetables, butter, egg yolks, cream, fresh herbs and chicken.

This soup makes little waste and, in a home where every penny counts, it’s rather nice to eke out every bit of flavor and nourishment from what you have available to you. So, use up the celery leaves and the carrot tops and you’ll find they give the soup a beautiful aromatic flavor that blends well with the soft and soothing flavor of chicken, cream, parsley, and chives.

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Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe

This homemade cream of chicken soup is gentle and soothing in its flavor, deeply comforting and satisfying. It doesn't freeze well, so plan to use it up within a few days of making it.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time2 hrs 20 mins

Total Time2 hrs 25 mins

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Ingredients

6 celery stalks including leaves
3 carrots including tops
1 yellow onion
1 whole stewing hen
2 leeks cleaned
3 whole cloves
2 tablespoons salted butter
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
6 egg yolks beaten
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Instructions

Pluck the leaves from the celery and place them in a stockpot. Chop off the carrot tops and peel the carrots, dropping both the peelings and tops into the pot. Chop off the root and top ends of the onion and peel it, tucking onion trimmings into the pot.
Mince the celery, carrots and onions very finely, and then place them in a mixing bowl.
Rinse the chicken thoroughly and pit it dry before adding it to the stockpot, covering it completely with water by about two inches.
Pierce the leeks with the cloves so that they remain stuck inside the tender stalks and place them in the stockpot alongside the stewing chicken.
Slowly simmer until the chicken is completely cooked and tender to the bone, about two hours. Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a platter to allow it to cool until you can pick the meat off the bones comfortably.
Strain the remaining broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher or jar, discarding the solids. Wipe the pot clean with a kitchen towel.
Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet until it foams, toss in the minced vegetables and fry until they become fragrant and tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the cleaned stockpot.
Once the chicken has cooled, pick its meat off the bones. Mince the meat very finely . Stir the chicken into the vegetables and pour the strained broth back into the stock pot. Stir in the finely grated nutmeg, and then bring it all to a bare simmer over medium heat.
Temper the beaten eggs by stirring a spoonful of broth into them, and then pouring the mixture of eggs and broth into the simmering soup. Gently stir in the heavy cream, parsley and chives. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle into soup bowls and serve warm.

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Comments

Jennifer says

April 29, 2018 at 9:44 am

How would you make this in an Instant Pot?

- Jenny says
  
  May 02, 2018 at 9:14 am
  
  You could try and let us know how it goes.
andi says

December 16, 2017 at 10:41 am

like the idea but DAIRY FREE

- Jenny says
  
  December 21, 2017 at 6:49 pm
  
  This isn’t a dairy-free blog.
Claire says

October 16, 2017 at 6:17 am

I would like to try this without the chicken, any idea the ratio of liquid to egg yolks?

- Jenny says
  
  October 16, 2017 at 9:46 am
  
  I recommend making this with chicken.

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