Hen Pot Pie Soup

Hen pot pie all the time hits the spot for me, however let’s be actual, making the crust from scratch isn’t all the time 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 rooster and veggies, and each chew tastes like rooster soup for the soul.

If you’re up for it, you’ll be able to all the time make an entire rooster pot pie. It’s nonetheless fairly straightforward.

Why My Recipe

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

A variety of recipes use potatoes for the “pie crust” aspect or canned biscuit dough, however that’s simply not my type in any respect. I thought of including some selfmade biscuit dough to behave as dumplings, however an excellent higher thought 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 comfortable, doughy “pie crust” goodness, and truthfully, it is perhaps even higher.

Ingredient Notes

• Boneless Skinless Hen Breast: You’ll want about 1 1/2 kilos. Hen thighs work too for those who want darkish meat. Simply trim off any extra fats.
• Olive Oil: Only a bit to brown the rooster. You may sub in avocado oil or any impartial oil you’ve bought readily available.
• Salted Butter: When you solely have unsalted, that’ll work simply high quality.
• White Onion: A medium onion is ideal right here. Yellow onion works too if that’s what you’ve bought.
• Carrots: Use 4 medium carrots. You may cube or slice them, no matter texture you like in your soup.
• Celery Ribs: Go for 4 ribs, sliced.
• All-Function 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 attainable, however jarred garlic works too. It simply has a barely extra bitter taste.
• Hen Broth: Go along with low sodium if you would like extra management over the salt. Retailer-bought or selfmade 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 would swap in half-and-half, but it surely received’t be fairly as thick.
• Frozen Peas: Toss them in straight from the freezer. No have to 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, sometimes vacuum-packed.

Rotisserie Hen Shortcut

Rotisserie rooster makes this soup even faster to get on the desk, plus it’s what’s referred to as a “loss chief” which means grocery shops promote it at a loss so it’s probably the greatest bargains yow will discover.

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

Because the rooster’s already carried out, you’ll simply wish to simmer the soup lengthy sufficient to warmth every thing by 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.

When you’re utilizing frozen gnocchi, there’s no have to thaw it. Simply toss it into the simmering soup and provides it a few further minutes. You’ll realize it’s prepared when the gnocchi float to the highest and are comfortable and pillowy.

You may also discover gluten-free gnocchi at many grocery shops. With gluten-free, you simply wish to prepare dinner it in line with the bundle instructions earlier than including it in on the very finish.

Vegetable Add-Ins

This soup is tremendous versatile relating to veggies. When you’ve bought extras readily available or simply wish to increase the diet, listed below are some straightforward add-in choices:

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

Corn: Stir in 1 cup of frozen or canned corn while you add the peas and gnocchi. No further 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 by and keep tender-crisp.

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

Adjusting Thickness

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

To Make It Thicker: If you need 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 also scale back the broth by 1 cup firstly for a naturally thicker outcome.

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 rooster broth or water. Add a bit of at a time till it’s the consistency you need, then heat it by earlier than serving.