Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Let this rainy, cold weather be a reminder to us all that Winter is still here!

Growing up as a kid I loved when my mom would go into the freezer and pull out two frozen pot pies for my sister and I. She always kept a few Banquet brands in the freezer. On Friday or Saturday nights when time was plenty, my mom would pull one out of the freezer and place it on the tray for baking. Before inserting it into the oven, she would carefully wrap the edges with foil, and we would patiently wait the forty-five minutes for baking plus the additional five for cooling to enjoy this special dinner.

Let’s all agree that the best part of a chicken pot pie is the crust! I would take off the top and place it to the side to save it for later. But the edges! The crispy brown edges I would break apart and drop them in the middle or dip them in the “soup”. I can taste the buttery crust right now!

Fast forward to me being a mother, I realized that my children should experience this same warmth and joy on a cold night, so I decided to make a version of chicken pot pie, but as a soup and with a pastry puff crouton topping! Listen, I liked breaking off the crust as a child, so why not just have the crust already broken and ready to be dipped? Plus, this is way easier than having to strategically place a perfectly rounded pie crust on top of an individual bowl of pot pie? I mean, I’m an active mother but not THAT active!

Here’s the recipe below! Let me know what you think!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

For the Soup: Prep the Veggies!

¼ cup of olive oil

2 tbs butter

¼ cup of flour

4 medium gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch chunks

2 large carrots, peeled, cut lengthwise, and then in small chunks

1 leek, washed, cut lengthwise and then sliced halfwise

1 fennel bulb, washed, stems cut off, bulb chopped into ½ inch chunks

5 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of frozen peas

1 cup of frozen corn

3 sprigs of thyme

1 cup of heavy cream

2 cups of cooked chicken, diced or shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

Grab a large dutch oven and melt the better with the olive oil over medium to high heat.
As the butter and oil heat, gently sprinkle in the flour creating a roux base for the soup.
Be sure to whisk constantly to prevent roux from burning.
Add the chopped potatoes, carrots, leek, fennel and garlic to the pot with salt and pepper.
Stir vegetables together, occasionally scraping the bottom of the pan (this is where the goodness lies).
Cook until fragrant and slightly softened (about 10-12 mins).
Add chicken stock, chicken, and heavy whipping cream.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover for an additional 20 mins until the veggies are soft, and the seasoning is all blended together.

During that twenty minutes, begin to work on your pastry puffs toppers!

For the “Croutons”:

1 Puff Pastry Sheet

1 egg (cracked and whisked)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out the puff pastry. Brush it with the egg wash and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
Grab a pizza cutter or a knife, and cut out ½ inch squares.
Place the squares on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 8-10 mins.