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Cream Cheese Chicken Soup cooks up in one pot on the stove and it’s the perfect creamy comfort food. Fresh vegetables, cooked chicken, and seasonings simmer in a creamy milk & chicken broth base. Your family will just love this creamy soup recipe!
If you want more creamy soup recipes then be sure and make my creamy chicken wild rice soup and my creamy potato soup.
Cream Cheese Chicken Soup Recipe
This cream cheese chicken soup was one of the very first recipes I ever posted. It’s still made all the time at my house even after all these years. One pot and about 30 minutes is all you need for this delicious cream cheese chicken soup recipe with fresh vegetables.
The recipe uses already cooked chicken so it’s a great use of leftover chicken or make it easy and buy a Rotisserie chicken. This is usually what I do because it saves so much time and it’s already seasoned.
What You’ll Need
The ingredient list may look long but it all comes together quickly. Besides some prep work needed to chop the vegetables, this soup is still a really quick meal. Below are the ingredients that you need to make cream cheese chicken soup. I also share some of my tips for the ingredients and what works best.
- Butter
- Onion – Use whatever kind you prefer. I always use a white onion or a yellow onion.
- Sliced Carrots – Remember to slice these thin so they will cook in the given cook time. I always use baby carrots because they’re already peeled and they are small, which means you just have to slice them and that’s it! Baby carrots are my “Secret weapon” for any soup recipe that calls for sliced carrots.
- Potatoes – I use either red potatoes or yukon gold potatoes because we prefer the taste. I also always peel the potatoes but do as you prefer.
- Chicken Broth – Full-salt or the reduced salt chicken broth will both work in this recipe. Just taste the soup and add a touch more salt if needed, depending on which chicken broth you use.
- Cooked Chicken – Use up some leftover chicken (shredded or chunked), buy a rotisserie chicken or bake some in the oven or skillet pan on the stove top. My preferred way to cook chicken is to add it into a slow cooker with a can of chicken broth and let it cook on LOW for 6-7 hours. Then I just shred it up with two forks and use it in this recipe. It literally falls apart at the touch of the fork!
- Cream Cheese – Recipe calls for a bar of cream cheese. I prefer the taste of full-fat cream cheese, but the 1/3 reduced-fat cream cheese can be used if wanted.
- Milk + Flour – This thickens the soup so well. I always use whole milk but any milk should work. I would just stay away from skim milk as it has no fat in it.
How To Make Cream Cheese Chicken Soup on The Stove
See how easy it is to make this soup. For the full recipe and instructions just scroll down below to the recipe card.
- Sauté Onion : Add the butter and minced onion into the pot. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the onion is softened and translucent.
- Broth + Veggies : Add in the carrots, potatoes, chicken broth, and salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and cover with a lid.
- Chicken : Add cooked chicken and dried parsley. Stir and let it heat through.
- Thicken : In a small bowl stir together the milk and flour. Pour this into the soup pot. Add the softened cream cheese and stir.
- Simmer : Let the soup simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until the cream cheese is smooth and incorporated well into the soup.
Tips For Success
Here are a few tips I have that will help make this soup recipe a hit in your own kitchen.
- Full-Fat Dairy Products : For the best taste and thickness, I recommend using whole milk and full-fat cream cheese. The lighter version have less fat, not as much flavor (especially the reduced-fat cream cheese), and there is more water in the product which takes away from the rich and creamy taste.
- Potatoes : I always use Yukon Gold Potatoes, also called yellow potatoes, in this recipe. They are soft and buttery and really pair well the soup. You can peel the skin off or leave it on.
- Chicken Broth : I use full-salt chicken broth but if you want more control of the salt then low-sodium chicken broth works just as well. Add additional salt if needed.
- Chop Vegetables Small : Be sure and chop the potatoes, carrots, and onions into small pieces. The larger they are, the longer it takes them to soften and cook in the first step. I use baby carrots because there is no need to peel them, and they’re already small so all you have to do is slice thinly. I aim to cut the onion the same size as the carrots, and then the potatoes into about 1/2-inch chunks.
Variation & Substitution Ideas
There are a couple ways to switch up this recipe. Here are a few things that you can try if you want.
- Cream Cheese – There was one time where I did not have cream cheese in my fridge but I was already in the process of making this soup. I found a tub (8 oz) of onion and chive cream cheese so I used that. It was delicious! It adds some more flavor so that is always an option you can try. I know there are other flavored cream cheese like garden vegetable and a garlic one.
- Make It Lighter – This recipe can be made lighter if that what you prefer. Use 1% milk (I would not use fat-free) and used reduced-fat cream cheese.
Cream Cheese Chicken Soup FAQ’s
- Can I Freeze a Creamy Soup?
- I would recommend not freezing this cream/milk based soup recipe. When dairy products, like the whole milk and cream cheese, are frozen and then thawed, they take on a grainy texture and separate and appear curdled from the rest of the ingredients.
- How To Store Leftovers
- Leftovers will keep well, in an air-tight container, for 3-4 days in the fridge. Either warm up it up in the microwave or on the stove top. You may have to add additional milk or broth when reheating because the soup will thicken quite a bit as it sits in the fridge.
- Serving Suggestions
- I love to make my buttery soft one hour rolls. They are perfect for soaking up all that creamy broth!
- You can make it even easier and buy some frozen rolls at the store. Either the ones where you let them rise or the quick bake ones that you pop in the oven frozen.
Supplies Needed
Here are a couple supplies that you will need to make these easy ground turkey tacos. These are an affiliate link, meaning that if you purchase, I will make a very small percentage from the sale. As always, I appreciate the support for the free recipes I post. I will only recommend things that I personally own and love! Promise.
Soup Pot : I love these enabled soup pots. I own this brand and then the more expensive (Le Creuset brand) and I have to say, I find myself using this Lodge one more! I love this white/cream eggshell color. I love these pots for soup recipes because they heat really evenly.
Soup Ladle : If you cook soup a lot then I think a soup ladle is important.
Liquid Measuring Cups : I love these stackable, and heavy-duty plastic, angled measuring cups. I use them all the time!
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup : Chicken noodle soup with a creamy base.
7 Can Chicken Taco Soup : One of the most popular recipes ever! 7 cans is literally all you need + some seasonings.
Minestrone Soup : Tons of fresh veggies like tomatoes, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, and small shell pasta inside a perfectly seasoned tomato and broth base.
Creamy Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup : Made in the slow cooker with canned tomatoes!
Chicken Tortilla Vegetable Soup : The best of both worlds; chicken tortilla soup + vegetable soup. This one is so yummy!
Cream Cheese Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
- 2 cups peeled and chopped potatoes (I use Yukon Gold potatoes)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups cooked chicken chunks or shredded
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk (I use whole milk)
- 1 bar (8 oz) cream cheese softened well
Instructions
- In large pot (with a lid) melt butter over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until tender.
- Add carrots, potato, chicken broth, and salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover with lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Add in the chicken and parsley. Stir together and let heat through.
- In separate bowl combine flour and milk and mix together until combined. Pour into the soup. Stir.
- Add the chunks of cream cheese into the soup and let it cook for about 5 minutes or until the cream cheese is completely melted into the soup and the soup is thick and creamy. * To ensure no cream cheese chunks, place the unwrapped bar of cream cheese onto a microwave-safe plate, and cook for 40 seconds.
- Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days. I warm them up in the microwave or on the stove top. You may have to add additional broth or milk when reheating.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
I'd love to see it! You can share it with me on @togetherasfamilyblog and follow on Pinterest @together-as-family-blog-recipes or Facebook @togetherasfamilyblog for more!
Recipe has been updated with better pictures and more helpful text in November 2021.
Old recipe photo before. Recipe has not changed, just the photos have.
Recipe was found and adapted years ago from Taste of Home.
I will definitely be making this soup, it looks delicious! I have been obsessed with cutthroat kitchen also! Its my middle of the night while I feed the baby show to keep me awake 🙂 thanks for the great recipe!
This looks amazing! Pinned and added to my menu this next week. Can’t wait to try it!
Hey Krista. Thanks so much. We love it!
Has anyone tried making this as a freezer meal. Then placing in the crock pot?
Hi Kathy. Sorry for getting back to you so late on this. I would not recommend freezing this because it has cream cheese in it. I’m afraid the cream cheese would be too grainy once its frozen and then thawed. Not for sure on that but that is my guess. I’ve also never tried freezing it either. Good luck if you decide to make it. Thanks for visiting 🙂
I know this is a very late reply, but thought I’d chime in anyway. If you made it all together without the cream cheese and freeze before cooking, it might work. Add in the cream cheese at the end of the cooking time in the crockpot (long enough to melt the cream cheese but no longer) and you get around freezing it with the cream cheese in it. I also don’t recommend cooking it and then freezing it after it’s been cooked though.
Hi Lacey! Thanks for your thoughts. I agree, freezing anything with cream cheese is a no. This soup is so good, I would suggest no one mess it up by freezing it 🙂 But, anyone could always try it. Thanks for leaving your comment.
Made this tonight and it was awesome! The end of July in Kentucky isn’t exactly “soup weather” but I really wanted this tonight. I’m glad I made it! The only thing I did differently was to add about a teaspoon or so of Cajun seasoning.
Yum, I don’t think I’ve ever had Cajun Seasoning but it sounds delicious! I’m with you on the soup thing, I think soup is year round. I actually made soup two nights ago also for dinner when it was like 98 degrees outside with about 75% humidity, and it was delicious 🙂 Thanks for coming back to leave your comment. Have a great weekend.
This soup is amazing! I’m not even a soup eater and I love it….do u have any nutrition information for this mainly cals, fat,protein, carbs and sugar?I thought I saw it, but now i cant find it. I used fat free cream cheese
52g Net Carbs, 60g Total Carbs, 8g Fiber, 59g Fat, 55g Protein, 986 Calories is what Carb Manager showed.
Can you make this in a Crock-Pot?
I think that would work. I’ve never tried it myself. Just make sure there is enough liquid for the crock pot which I am sure there is in this recipe. I would wait and add the cream cheese until after the cook time (if you’re using raw chicken). If you’re using cooked chicken in the crock pot, just add everything and cook for 4-5 hours. That would be my guess as I have never cooked this in the slow cooker.
This looks wonderful. I’m trying to eat less carbs. I am going to substitute riced cauliflower for the potatoes. Do you think just using a tablespoon of cornstarch would work as well as 1/4C of flour? I don’t know if almond flour works as a thickener in soup? What would be a better way to thicken the soup? Thanks!
I would say a good way is to use cornstarch. But you have to mix it with water first. So maybe try 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water and mix that together before adding it into the soup. I have never done this so the 2 tablespoons is a guess but it should do the trick. If it’s not thick enough after adding that, just mix together more cornstarch + water until you get the right thickness you’re looking for.
I always gluten free everything due to celiac but if anyone needs a way.to thicken soups u can try cornstarch I’m allergic to corn so I tend to use xantham gum or tapioca starch for soups and sauces…made this today it was delicious thx for the share ?
Thank you my daughter is celiac as well but doesn’t live in my state. So when she come home I try to come up with new dishes for her to try. Some look so good but of course require flour. I don’t particularly care for most of GF flours. So what what you have suggested is perfect. If you have any other tasty chicken or any other recipes please email me. Thanks again! Karen
I have a quick question. The photo shows something “green” in the soup (maybe fresh parsley), but there is not any parsley in the ingredients list. Do I add parsley, dill or something green? The recipe looks great and I can’t wait to try it!!!
The green you are seeing in the pics is actually just the dried parsley called for in the recipe. I did not add anything else on top of the soup for pictures or anything. I hope that helps! Enjoy.
Just finished making this, coming in to winter in AUS, this is definitely going to be a regular.
I added some celery, and copied one of the above comments with adding some Cajun spice, also added some chives.
Beautiful thick, creamy comforting soup.
Love it 🙂
This looks amazing. Has anyone tried it with rice instead of potatoes? I always loved chicken and rice soup as a kid.
I think rice would work but it would have to be pre-cooked rice that you add in at the end. The recipe is not designed to boil the rice during the cook time like the potatoes (I think it would need more liquid so the rice does not soak it all up??).
Very good and comforting!?
I made this recipe exactly as recipe called for. I found it very bland. I will try adding cajun seasoning as Lacey suggested.
WOW!!!! So easy and delicious! I pulled the chicken from an air fryer recipe I made the night before. Turned out great! Thank you!
Is there any way to use gluten free flour instead of regular flour?
Yes you can. I have a gluten free (king arthur is the brand name) and it is a equal substitute for all-purpose flour. I believe most are so you should be fine.
I love this recipe! I made it last year and am now making it again this year! I put bacon bits and celery in it last time and was fantastic!!
Oh yum! Bacon! My family would love that. Thanks for your comment and rating.
I’ve made this recipe twice now and it’s a winner! I substituted cubbed ham the second time and as another suggested used cream cheese with chives which was a great addition. I like that it is versatile and a great base for endless possibilities. Thanks for sharing this delicious soup recipe!
Oh yum! Cream cheese with chives sounds amazing. So happy to hear you loved the recipe. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment 🙂
I have made this several times and it’s so delicious each and every time! I have added a few ingredients the last few times of making it; such as: minced garlic, celery, canned mushrooms and frozen spinach. So delicious!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
I meant 5 Stars!!!!
❤️
Thank you for your nice comment! Glad you like the recipe!
I’ve made this twice now and my family loves it! I add bacon also as well as some garlic powder, dill, sage, and celery salt. It’s in my favorite recipes on Pinterest now, thank you for sharing!
Love your additions, sounds delicious!
Very delicious!! Creamy and filling!!
Yay! So glad you liked it!
This soup is AMAZING!!! I can’t wait to cook this again as well as other recipes! Fantastic website!
Thank you Stacy! It is wonderful to read that you loved the recipe and the site. ❤️ Thank you for your kind words and review.
Wow – so tasty. I used a whole carton of broth (4 cups), and I added about 1 1/2 tsp Herbs de Provence. I also had some celery that I needed to use. It was delicious!! I had some leftover fire roasted corn that I meant to add, but forgot. So it went into the leftover soup and we’ll have it tomorrow. This is a keeper!! Very tasty!!
Could I use heavy cream instead of milk and cream cheese?
Yes I think that would work just fine!