Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Crowns

Name: Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Crowns
Prep time: 17 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 47 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter; 1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 3 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise if thick, and sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick; 2 ribs (about 3.5 oz) (100 g) celery, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices; 3 cloves (12 g) garlic, minced; ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour; 6 cups (1440 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, at room temperature or cold; 1 pound (450 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes; 1½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat; 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried thyme; 1 whole (1 g) bay leaf; 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature or cold; 1 cup (150 g) frozen peas, no need to thaw; 1½ teaspoons (5 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground, plus more to taste; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed (optional); 1 sheet (about 9–10 oz, roughly 10 inches / 25 cm square) (270 g) puff pastry sheet, thawed but still cool; 1 large (50 g) large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water; 2 tablespoons (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

All the comfort of chicken pot pie in a bowl: a creamy, thyme-scented soup loaded with tender shredded chicken, potatoes, carrots and peas, topped with golden, flaky puff pastry rectangles in place of a pie crust. It's made on the stovetop, with the pastry baking while the soup finishes simmering, in about 80 minutes.

Prep: 17 min
Cook: 30 min
Wait: 31 min
Total: 1 hr 18 min
Makes: About 9 cups soup (6 generous bowls of about 1½ cups) plus 12 pastry crowns

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the soup
4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter
1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
3 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise if thick, and sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
2 ribs (about 3.5 oz) (100 g) celery, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices
3 cloves (12 g) garlic, minced
½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
6 cups (1440 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, at room temperature or cold
1 pound (450 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes
1½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
1 teaspoon (1 g) dried thyme
1 whole (1 g) bay leaf
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature or cold
1 cup (150 g) frozen peas, no need to thaw
1½ teaspoons (5 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed (optional)
For the pastry crowns
1 sheet (about 9–10 oz, roughly 10 inches / 25 cm square) (270 g) puff pastry sheet, thawed but still cool
1 large (50 g) large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water
For serving
2 tablespoons (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Equipment (7)

5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) Dutch oven or heavy soup pot with a lid
Large rimmed baking sheet (13×18-inch / 33×46 cm) lined with parchment paper
Sharp knife and cutting board
Wooden spoon
Two forks or tongs for shredding chicken
Pastry brush
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Thaw the puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight, or on the counter for 30–40 minutes, until it unfolds without cracking but is still cool to the touch.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment. You will cut the pastry in step 2 and chill it, then turn the oven on to 400°F (200°C) at the start of step 3 so it is fully preheated (about 15 minutes) by the time the pastry goes in at step 7.
Read steps 6 and 7 together: the soup simmers 25 minutes in total, and the pastry bakes during the last 14 of those minutes so both finish together.
This recipe uses 1 cup = 240 ml throughout. Measure the broth and cream accordingly.

1
Prep the vegetables
- Peel and dice the onion, slice the carrots and celery, mince the garlic, and peel and cube the potatoes into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces.
- Keep the potatoes in a bowl of cold water until needed, then drain well.
- Trim the chicken thighs of any large pieces of fat.
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Ready when: All vegetables are cut to even sizes so they cook at the same rate.
Tip: Cut the potatoes no bigger than ½ inch, or they will still be firm when the chicken is done.
2
Cut and chill pastry
- Unfold the cool puff pastry on a cutting board.
- With a sharp knife, cut it into 3 columns by 4 rows to make 12 rectangles, each about 2½ × 3¼ inches (6 × 8 cm) if your sheet is 10 inches (25 cm) square.
- Slide the rectangles onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, and refrigerate until step 7.
- Do not brush with egg yet.
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Ready when: Twelve evenly sized rectangles with clean, straight edges sit on the pan.
Tip: Press the knife straight down rather than dragging it. Dragging squashes the edges and keeps the layers from rising.
3
Sauté the vegetablesOven 400°F / 205°C
- Turn the oven on to 400°F (200°C) now so it is hot when the pastry goes in.
- Melt the butter in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrots and celery with the salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 8 minutes.
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Ready when: The onion is soft and translucent, and the carrots are just starting to soften. Nothing should be browned.
Tip: If the vegetables begin to brown, lower the heat. Browning will darken the soup.
4
Cook garlic and flour
- Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste and form a paste that coats the vegetables.
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Ready when: The flour looks pale blond and smells slightly nutty, with no dry white patches.
Tip: Keep stirring and scraping the bottom so the flour doesn't scorch.
5
Add broth, potatoes, chicken
- Slowly pour in the broth about 1 cup (240 ml) at a time, stirring and scraping the bottom after each addition so no lumps form.
- Add the potatoes, whole chicken thighs and bay leaf.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, about 6 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup barely bubbles.
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Ready when: Large bubbles break across the whole surface at the boil, then only small, lazy bubbles after you lower the heat.
Tip: Make sure the chicken is submerged; push it down with a spoon if needed.
6
Begin the simmer
- Partially cover the pot and simmer gently over medium-low heat for 11 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- This is the start of a 25-minute simmer; the next step covers the last 14 minutes while the pastry bakes.
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Ready when: The soup bubbles gently at the edges and has begun to thicken slightly.
Tip: Keep to a gentle simmer. A hard boil can toughen the chicken and break up the potatoes.
7
Bake pastry, finish simmerOven 400°F / 205°C
- Take the pastry from the fridge and brush the tops with the egg wash, keeping it off the cut edges.
- Bake on the middle rack at 400°F (200°C) for 14 minutes.
- While it bakes, keep the soup at a gentle partially covered simmer, stirring once or twice.
- When the timer goes off, remove the pastry and leave it on the pan.
- Check that the chicken reads at least 175°F (80°C) in the thickest part and a potato cube is easily pierced with a fork.
- If not, simmer 3–5 minutes more.
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Ready when: The pastry is puffed tall and deep golden brown, with layers that look dry, not pale or doughy. The chicken reads 175°F (80°C) and the potatoes are fork-tender but not falling apart.
Tip: Egg wash dripping down the sides glues the layers together and stops the pastry from rising fully. Check the pastry at 12 minutes, since ovens vary.
8
Shred the chicken
- Lift the chicken onto a cutting board with tongs and shred it into bite-size pieces with two forks.
- Return it to the pot.
- Fish out and discard the bay leaf.
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Ready when: Chicken pulls apart easily into pieces about ¾ inch (2 cm) long.
Tip: Shred while hot for the easiest pull; use a fork to hold the meat steady.
9
Add cream and peas
- Stir in the cream and frozen peas.
- Heat over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas are bright green and tender and the soup is steaming.
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Ready when: The soup is steaming hot with small bubbles at the edges, and it lightly coats the back of a spoon. The peas are bright green.
Tip: Don't let the soup boil after adding the cream, which can cause it to curdle.
10
Season to taste
- Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Stir in the lemon juice, if using, to brighten the flavors.
- If the soup is thicker than you like, stir in up to ½ cup (120 ml) hot water or broth, which brings the yield to about 9½ cups.
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Ready when: The soup tastes savory and balanced, not flat.
Tip: Season at the end. Broth varies in saltiness, so adjusting now prevents over-salting.
11
Ladle and top
- Ladle the soup into 6 warm bowls.
- Top each with 2 pastry crowns, and sprinkle with parsley if you like.
- The pastry will have cooled for about 10 minutes, which is ideal.
- If it has cooled longer, warm it on its pan in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 3 minutes first.
- Serve right away.
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Ready when: Pastry sits on top of the soup, crisp and flaky.
Tip: Add pastry just before eating. Left in the soup it turns soft within about 5 minutes.

Good to know

Tips

Thighs stay juicier and more flavorful than breasts in a simmered soup, and they are hard to overcook. They shred best at 175°F (80°C) or higher.
For a thicker, more stew-like soup, mash a few potato cubes against the side of the pot with a spoon before adding the cream.
Keep the puff pastry cold until it goes in the oven; warm dough puffs unevenly. If it becomes soft, chill it for 10 minutes before baking.
Serve the pastry on the side if anyone prefers a crunchier crown, so it can be dunked as they eat.

Make ahead

"Make the soup through step 8 (shredded chicken, before adding the cream and peas) up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently until steaming, then add the cream and peas. Cut the pastry up to 1 day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Bake it the day you serve."

Storage & reheating

"Refrigerate soup in an airtight container up to 4 days. Freeze (without pastry) up to 2 months; potatoes soften slightly after freezing. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat over low heat, stirring often, adding a splash of broth to loosen, until steaming (165°F / 74°C). Keep baked pastry separate in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day and re-crisp in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes."

Substitutions

boneless, skinless chicken thighs → boneless, skinless chicken breasts or leftover cooked rotisserie chicken. Breasts cook in about 15–20 minutes of simmering; pull at 165°F (74°C). For rotisserie chicken, skip cooking it and stir in about 3 cups (400 g) shredded meat with the cream.
heavy cream → half-and-half or whole milk. The soup will be lighter and slightly thinner. Warm it first and don't let the soup boil.
puff pastry sheet → refrigerated biscuit dough or a pie crust cut into shapes. Bake biscuits per package directions; pie crust shapes bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 12 minutes.
dried thyme → 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning. Add it in step 4 the same way.