An easy and delicious Creamy Chicken Soup recipe with potatoes, bacon, and spinach. This hearty, rich soup recipe is the ultimate comfort food for cold weather. This gluten-free soup recipe includes a dairy-free option too!
While my soup recipes are generally lighter, focusing on lean protein and fiber, I sometimes find myself craving rich, creamy soups.
This is precisely how this dreamy creamy chicken soup with potatoes and bacon was born.
I was experiencing a soup craving, but not just any soup. It needed to be hearty, rich, flavorful, and of course, include bacon.
The end result is a filling, cozy meal with shredded tender chicken, delightful carb-laden potatoes, and the richest bacon-infused creamy broth.
It is the best soup for those chilly evenings when you’re looking to snuggle into a big bed of flavors.
But don’t worry, I tossed in some spinach and tomatoes, because: health.
If you’re looking for that big bowl of warm heart bliss, you’ve found it right here!
For those seeking creamy soup recipes that are dairy-free, be sure to try my Hearty Ground Turkey Soup with Vegetables, Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup) and my Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Clam Chowder. Also see my instructions below to make this recipe dairy-free.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this creamy chicken soup recipe. The great news is you can find the full ingredient list at any grocery store.
Creamy Chicken Soup Ingredients:
Bacon: Used to add richness and slightly smoky bacon flavor to the soup, we need a quality thick-cut bacon. I like using bacon with no added nitrates or sugar.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: One of the main ingredients is any cut of chicken that you feel comfortable cooking. For this recipe, I prefer using boneless breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Yukon Gold Potatoes: Bringing great texture and some carbohydrates for a balanced meal, potatoes add to the comforting nature of this soup. I use a couple of Yukon gold potatoes but russet potatoes work too.
Yellow Onion and Garlic: Fresh onion and garlic are paramount in adding flavor to everything they touch.
Vine-Ripened Tomatoes: For a kick of freshness and acidity to balance the rich creamy flavor, we need a ripe juicy tomato.
Baby Spinach: A load of baby spinach cooks down and incorporates into the soup in such a way that you may not even notice it. A great way to hide your greens!
Chicken Broth: The majority of the liquid in this amazing soup recipe is chicken broth or chicken stock. I like using chicken bone broth. Homemade chicken stock is great here.
Heavy Cream: The creamy element of the recipe! Heavy cream adds a silky texture and plenty of richness so that the soup tastes nice and flavorful.
Sea Salt & Black Pepper: Season the soup with salt and pepper to your personal taste.
Looking for ways of customizing the recipe? Here are some options.
Recipe Adaptations:
- To save time, use 3-4 cups of shredded leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken instead of cooking raw chicken.
- Serve the soup with a generous shower of fresh grated parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese on top.
- Thicken the soup by adding a roux or cornstarch slurry to your personal taste.
- For citrus flavor, add the zest of 1-2 lemons and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Don’t love bacon? Skip it and use 2 tablespoons of avocado oil or olive oil to do the sautéing.
- Turn it into a creamy chicken noodle soup recipe by swapping the potatoes for 8 ounces of pasta noodles. I would use gluten-free noodles, but egg noodles work great, or any of your favorite pasta shapes.
- Stir in fresh herbs such as fresh thyme, fresh parsley, or fresh oregano.
- Add 1/3 cup of dry white wine if you love cooking with wine.
- For ultra rich soup, add 4 ounces of cream cheese.
- Swap the fresh garlic for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Add a kick of heat by shaking some red pepper flakes into the soup.
- Replace the potatoes with 2/3 cup of white rice.
- Add any of your favorite vegetables, like bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, or bok choy.
- If you have bay leaves on hand, add 1 bay leaf.
- For herby flavor, add 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients for creamy chicken soup, let’s make this easy recipe!
How to Make Creamy Chicken Soup:
Heat a large thick-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) on a stove top over medium-high heat and transfer the strips of bacon to the hot surface. Cook, flipping every 2 minutes or so, until bacon reaches your desired level of crispiness.
Once cooked to your liking, move the bacon to a plate and leave the bacon drippings in the large pot.
Leaving the pot on medium-high heat, transfer the two chicken breasts to the hot surface and brown for 3-5 minutes per side, or until both sides are golden brown.
Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the chopped onion to the pot, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add in the fresh garlic and continue sautéing another 2 minutes.
Transfer the chicken back to the bottom of the pot, along with the broth. Cover the pot and bring the soup mixture to a full boil. Once boiling, reduce to low heat (or medium-low heat) and cook at a gentle bubble for 45 minutes.
Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the pot and transfer them to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken breasts and transfer the shredded chicken back into the pot.
Add the chopped potatoes, tomato, and spinach to the pot. Cover and return to a full boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle boil. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes have softened to your liking.
Stir in the heavy cream. Taste the soup for flavor and add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste.
Serve creamy chicken soup in big bowls with crusty bread and butter.
How to Store Soup:
Store soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer-term storage, freeze the soup double bagged in two large ziplocks for up to 3 months.
Can I Make This Dairy-Free?:
For my dairy-free friends, simply swap the heavy cream for 1 can of full-fat coconut milk.
How Can I Thicken This Soup?:
For thick creamy chicken soup, with a consistency similar to chowder, you can make a roux. Roux is made with equal parts butter and flour.
Simply heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet with 3 tablespoons of flour over medium heat.
Melt butter and stir until the flour and butter have combined, then add ½ cup to 1 cup of milk and stir well.
Transfer this flour mixture to the soup and cook at a gentle bubble, until the soup has thickened to your desired consistency.
To keep the soup gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free all-purpose flour instead of regular all-purpose flour.
And that’s it! A homemade soup with a lot of flavor that the whole family will love during the fall and winter months. This homemade chicken soup may just become one of your favorite soups!
If you’re looking for more delicious soup recipes to enjoy during the chilly months of the year, here are some reader favorites!
More Soup and Stew Recipes:
Endless bowls of hearty creamy chicken potato soup on repeat!
Creamy Chicken Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large chicken breasts about 1 pound
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 medium-sized yukon gold potatoes chopped
- 1 vine-ripened tomato chopped
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp sea salt to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large thick-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) on a stove top over medium-high heat and transfer the strips of bacon to the hot surface. Cook, flipping every 2 minutes or so, until bacon reaches your desired level of crispiness. Once cooked to your liking, move the bacon to a plate and leave the bacon drippings in the large pot.
- Leaving the pot on medium-high heat, transfer the two chicken breasts to the hot surface and brown for 3-5 minutes per side, or until both sides are golden brown.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the chopped onion to the pot, and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add in the fresh garlic and continue sautéing another 2 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken back to the bottom of the pot, along with the broth. Cover the pot and bring the soup mixture to a full boil. Once boiling, reduce to low heat (or medium-low heat) and cook at a gentle bubble for 45 minutes.
- Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the pot and transfer them to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken breasts and transfer the shredded chicken back into the pot.
- Add the chopped potatoes, tomato, and spinach to the pot. Cover and return to a full boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle boil. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes have softened to your liking.
- Stir in the heavy cream. Taste the soup for flavor and add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste.
- Serve creamy chicken soup in big bowls with crusty bread and butter.
Nutrition
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When are you supposed to add the bacon back in? I added it back in with salt, pepper and cream to keep it crispy.
Hi Lucy! I add it back in at the same time as the cream, salt, and pepper! Thanks for catching this – I’ll update the recipe 🙂