Amazing 40-Minute Chicken Potato Soup

When those chilly spring days hit—you know, the ones where it’s still snowing in the morning and practically summer by lunchtime—there’s nothing better than a bowl of rich, creamy Chicken Potato Soup. Hi, I’m Anna! 👩‍🍳 Cooking is my passion, and here on Mom’s Kitchen I share simple, delicious recipes that bring joy and warmth to your table. Whether you love spending time in the kitchen or you’re just looking for easy ideas for everyday meals, I’m so happy to inspire you with my recipes. Thank you for being part of this flavorful journey! 💛 This soup is my go-to for those confusing weather months of March and April because it’s hearty enough for winter but light enough for spring menus. It comes together faster than takeout, and the way the potatoes melt into the creamy broth is just pure magic. Trust me, this recipe is a keeper!

Why This Chicken Potato Soup Recipe Works for You

If you’re looking for a guaranteed weeknight win, this is it. The absolute best part about this Chicken Potato Soup is that it tastes like it simmered all day, but it’s truly ready in under 40 minutes total. It’s creamy, comforting, and uses simple techniques that even brand-new cooks can master without breaking a sweat.

You don’t need fancy equipment or hours of free time to make something truly satisfying. This soup proves that dinner doesn’t have to be complicated to be incredible.

Quick Prep for Your Chicken Potato Soup

Look at the clock—you only need about 15 minutes to get everything chopped and into the pot! Honestly, this recipe saved my sanity last Tuesday. I walked in the door completely exhausted, and I had a steaming pot of this soup on the table before the kids even finished arguing about homework. That’s the power of 15-minute prep work right there.

We’re talking basic chopping skills, and then the stove does all the heavy lifting. It’s foolproof, which is exactly what I need when I’m juggling dinner and bedtime routines. You’ll love how quickly it comes together!

Gathering Ingredients for Your Perfect Chicken Potato Soup

Okay, let’s talk ingredients for this amazing Chicken Potato Soup. I know some recipes call for a mile-long shopping list, but this one is wonderfully straightforward. We are focusing on fresh flavor and simple pantry staples. Precision matters here, especially when we get to the flour and the milk, because that’s what builds our creamy texture.

Don’t be tempted to use low-fat milk—trust me, the richness from the whole milk is what makes this soup truly comforting. I always keep my pantry stocked with the broth and bouillon so I can whip this up on a whim. Grab your sharpest knife, because we’ve got some chopping!

Essential Components of This Chicken Potato Soup

Here is exactly what you need to gather up before you turn on the stove. I like laying everything out first—it makes the 15-minute prep time actually achievable!

Ingredient	Amount	Preparation Note
Unsalted Butter	1/3 cup	Needed for sautéing base
Onion	1 medium	Finely chopped
Carrots	1 cup	Peeled and diced
Celery	1/2 cup	Diced
Potatoes	3 cups	Peeled and diced
Garlic	4 cloves	Minced
Cooked Chicken Breast	1 1/2 cups	Diced
All-Purpose Flour	1/3 cup	For the roux
Chicken Broth	2 cups	Low sodium preferred
Chicken Bouillon	2 teaspoons	For deep flavor
Whole Milk	3 cups	Do not substitute, this is key!
Salt & Pepper	To taste	Start with 1/4 tsp each

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Chicken Potato Soup

A quick note on the chicken: I usually use leftover rotisserie chicken or boil a few breasts ahead of time. You want about 1 1/2 cups, diced small, so everything blends nicely. Since this recipe calls for cooked chicken, it’s already a meat-based meal, but if you wanted to make a vegetarian version, you could easily swap that out!

For the vegetarian swap, just skip the chicken and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and bouillon. You might want to add some extra mushrooms or beans for texture. Also, the broth quality makes a huge difference; I always recommend low-sodium chicken broth because we are adding bouillon anyway, and that gives us total control over how salty our final Chicken Potato Soup is.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Your Chicken Potato Soup

Now for the fun part! Turning those beautiful ingredients into the best Chicken Potato Soup you’ve ever had. Don’t rush the beginning stages; that’s where we build the foundational flavor that makes this soup taste like it’s been simmering for hours. Follow these steps exactly, and I promise a bowl of pure comfort is on its way!

Building the Flavor Base for Chicken Potato Soup

First things first, get a big, heavy-bottomed pot—you need room for all that goodness. Set your heat to medium and melt that 1/3 cup of butter. Once it’s shimmering, toss in your chopped onion, diced carrots, and celery. This is your mirepoix, the backbone of so many great dishes!

You need to let these vegetables sweat it out until they just start to soften up. I usually set a timer for about four minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when they smell sweet and you can press a piece of onion easily with your spoon. Don’t let them brown, we just want them tender!

Cooking the Chicken Potato Soup Components

Once the veggies are happy, stir in your diced chicken and those cubed potatoes. Let that cook together for just two minutes—this helps the potatoes get a little head start. Then, make a little space in the middle of the pot, drop in your minced garlic, and cook until you can really smell it, which is only about 30 seconds. Garlic burns fast, so watch it!

Next, we make the roux, which is just a fancy word for thickening agent. Sprinkle that 1/3 cup of flour right over everything and stir constantly for two full minutes. This step is vital! Cooking the flour removes that pasty, raw taste, and it’s essential for a smooth Chicken Potato Soup.

Simmering and Thickening Your Chicken Potato Soup

Time to thin things out! Gradually stir in your chicken broth and the bouillon. Keep stirring as you pour to make sure no lumps form. Raise the heat just enough to bring it to a gentle boil, then let it bubble until those potatoes are just tender when poked—that takes about 10 to 12 minutes. You don’t want them mushy yet!

Once the potatoes are nearly done, reduce the heat way down to medium-low. Now, slowly pour in the whole milk while stirring continuously. This slow addition, while stirring constantly, is what creates that perfect, velvety texture. Keep stirring gently for about five minutes until the soup visibly thickens up. Finish by tasting and seasoning with your salt and pepper!

Tips for Making the Best Chicken Potato Soup

Even when you follow the recipe perfectly, sometimes soup consistency needs a little personal tweaking, and that’s totally normal! The goal with this Chicken Potato Soup is creamy, not gluey. If you find your soup is thicker than you want after adding the milk, don’t panic. We fix that easily!

Remember, you can always add more liquid, but you can’t easily take it away. A little extra milk, added just a quarter cup at a time while gently reheating, will loosen it right up until it’s perfect for dipping bread into.

Adjusting Consistency in Your Chicken Potato Soup

Now, if you accidentally went overboard with the broth or the potatoes broke down more than expected and your soup looks almost like mashed potatoes—we have a secret weapon! This is where the cornstarch slurry comes in handy. Mix just one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold milk until it’s totally smooth. You have to mix it well before adding it, or you’ll end up with white clumps!

Whisk that slurry right into your soup, bring it back up to a low boil for about two or three minutes, and watch it firm up beautifully. This technique is my backup plan for guaranteeing a perfect texture every single time I make this Chicken Potato Soup.

Serving Suggestions for This Chicken Potato Soup

The best part about a rich, creamy Chicken Potato Soup is how perfectly it pairs with something crunchy to cut through the richness! You don’t need a complicated side dish here. My favorite simple pairing is serving it piping hot with crusty French bread for dipping—it soaks up every last bit of that delicious broth.

If you have fresh herbs lying around, a sprinkle of chopped parsley right on top gives it a beautiful pop of color and freshness. Honestly, though, this soup is a meal all on its own, but a simple side salad with a bright vinaigrette is also lovely!

Storing and Reheating Your Leftover Chicken Potato Soup

I always make a double batch because, let’s be real, leftovers of this Chicken Potato Soup taste even better the next day. The flavors just deepen overnight! Storing it properly is key so that when you reheat it, it doesn’t separate or get too gummy. You want to make sure you cool it down relatively quickly after dinner before putting it away. If you are interested in learning more about safe food storage practices, you can check out resources from the FDA.

When reheating, low and slow is the magic phrase. Don’t blast it on high heat, or the milk might scorch or the texture can change. A gentle simmer is exactly what this soup needs to come back to life!

Storage Method	Duration	Reheating Tip
Airtight Container in Fridge	3 to 4 days	Reheat slowly on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring often.
Freezer (Airtight Bag/Container)	Up to 2 months	Thaw overnight in the fridge first. Add a splash of milk or broth when reheating on the stove.

If you freeze it, you might notice it looks a little strange or thicker when you first thaw it out. That’s okay! Just stir in an extra half-cup of milk or broth while it warms up, and it will smooth right back out into that comforting texture we love in our Chicken Potato Soup.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Potato Soup

I get so many questions about this recipe because everyone wants their bowl of Chicken Potato Soup to be perfect! Here are the things I hear most often from readers who are trying it out for the first time. I hope these little bits of advice help you nail it! If you have other questions about the site or recipes, feel free to contact me.

Q1. Can I use instant mashed potatoes instead of dicing the potatoes?
Oh, please don’t! While I love instant potatoes for emergencies, they won’t give you the texture you want here. We need the starch released naturally from the diced potatoes as they simmer to help thicken the soup slightly before we add the flour. Diced potatoes give you those lovely, tender chunks.

Q2. What kind of chicken should I use in this Chicken Potato Soup?
I always recommend using already cooked chicken breast because it saves so much time. Rotisserie chicken is fantastic, or you can just boil a couple of chicken breasts ahead of time. Make sure it’s diced small, about the same size as your potatoes, so every spoonful is balanced.

Q3. My soup seems a little thin even after adding the milk. What did I do wrong?
Don’t worry, this happens! It usually means your potatoes weren’t starchy enough or maybe you added the milk a little quickly. If it’s too thin, use the cornstarch trick I mentioned in the tips section—mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold milk, stir it into the simmering soup, and let it boil gently for two minutes. It thickens right up!

Q4. Can I skip cooking the flour (the roux)?
You absolutely can skip it, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you want that classic creamy texture in your Chicken Potato Soup. Cooking the flour for those two minutes cooks out the raw, pasty taste. If you skip it, your soup will be thinner and taste a bit chalky.

Print