This cosy and delicious dairy-free creamy chicken soup is the perfect winter comfort food. Full of tender chicken pieces and vegetables, this healthy soup is so rich and creamy without any dairy, and is the most delicious way to warm up during the colder months.
Chicken soup is one of my go-to comfort foods. Whether you’re feeling a little under the weather, having a bad day, or are just looking for something cosy and warming that feels like a big warm hug, chicken soup will help. My go-to recipe for years has been my pressure cooker chicken noodle soup but I thought it was time to level up the cosiness with a creamy version.
Creamy and dairy-free aren’t usually words that go together. I think that’s what makes this recipe so good as it doesn’t use any cream, no coconut, and definitely no cashews.
The creaminess comes from a roux made with dairy-free butter and oat milk and creates a super rich, thick and creamy white sauce that is added to the chicken soup at the end instead of cream.
There are a couple of steps involved but nothing is that complicated making it a great Sunday evening meal. It’s so full of flavour, so rich and creamy, and just everything you want from a wholesome bowl of soup in the wintertime.
Key Ingredients
Creamy chicken soup is a great recipe that uses simple ingredients that are often found in a weekly grocery shop making it a good recipe to have on standby when you’re looking for something healthy and cosy.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken breast – I like to use chicken breast in chicken soup as it’s leaner and means a lot less oily residue in the soup however you can use chicken thighs if you prefer. The chicken breasts I’ve been buying are HUGE so I like to cut them in half to speed up the cooking time, but you can adjust based on the size of your chicken.
- Onion, carrots, and celery – the holy trinity of building flavour. I am always so blown away by how these three vegetables can add so much flavour to a soup.
- Garlic – I like to add a bit of garlic for more flavour and health benefits of a healing chicken soup but this is optional.
- Chicken stock – I like to use a salt reduced stock so I can control the level of saltiness. The quality of your chicken broth is also going to impact the overall flavour of your soup.
- Pasta – for chicken soup you want to use a small shape of pasta such as spirals. The one I used in the photos is called Mafalde corte and I found it in a local Coles supermarket and its short and curly shape is perfect for this soup.
- Dairy-free butter – the base of the roux that is going to make this a super lush and creamy soup.
- Plain flour – also called all purpose flour in the US, it’s added to the butter to create the roux.
- Oat milk – I like to use oat milk when making a white sauce as I find it creamy but neutral in flavour. You could also use soy milk with very similar results.
- Fresh parsley – adds freshness and colour to the soup.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To get started, you’ll need a good, heavy based pot or Dutch oven. Honestly this is one of the most used items in my kitchen as it’s so versatile. This cast iron Dutch oven from Amazon is similar to the one I have and it’s perfect for making this creamy chicken soup as well as this slow cooked beef ragu.
With any recipe like this, get started with prepping all of your vegetables. Peel and chop everything and make sure you have everything ready for each step of the process.
Start with browning the chicken breasts in the base of the Dutch oven in a little olive oil. Technically this is optional as you can simply poach the chicken in the chicken broth however this step adds an extra layer of flavour through the browning process and it doesn’t take much extra time.
Once the chicken is browned on both sides, remove from the pot and set aside – we’ll finish cooking it later. Add the onions, carrot, celery and garlic to the pot and saute until soft. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits and leftover bits of chicken as this is where we start to build flavour.
Add the chicken stock to the pot and add back in the chicken pieces. Turn the heat down to low and place the lid on the pot. Let the chicken gently simmer for about 10 minutes or until it’s cooked through and tender.
Remove the chicken from the pot and cut or shred into small pieces. While you’re doing this, add the pasta to the soup and let it cook for 10 minutes. You want it almost cooked through but still a little under.
Note: If you’re making this ahead of time or for meal prep, skip the step of cooking the pasta in the soup and instead cook the pasta separately when ready to serve. This is because the pasta will continue to absorb the liquid and can get too soft.
While the pasta is cooking, make your white sauce. Add the dairy free butter to a small saucepan and allow it to melt. Add in the plain flour and mix, cooking for a minute or two. Slowly add the oat milk a little at a time, mixing well between each addition, until the mixture resembles a thick and creamy sauce.
When the pasta is almost done cooking, add the chopped chicken back to the pot along with the white sauce. Mix well, letting the soup cook for a few more minutes until combined and thickened and the pasta is fully cooked. Stir through the chopped parsley and taste, seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can freeze this soup. If this is your plan, omit the pasta from the recipe and instead cook it separately and freeze in a separate container for the best results.
To freeze, allow the soup to cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating in the microwave or in a pot on the stove. If the soup is too thick, add a little water to reach the desired consistency.
To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta and substitute the plain flour with a gluten-free flour blend in the roux.
If the soup is too thin, you can simmer it uncovered until it reduces and thickens. This may happen if the white sauce was too thin when added to the soup or if the pasta was omitted from the recipe.
More soup recipes:
Dairy-Free Potato and Leek Soup
Easy Vegan Tomato Soup
Mum’s Pumpkin Soup
Beef Minestrone Soup
Healthy Vegetable Soup with Lentils and Barley
Dairy Free Creamy Chicken Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 500 grams chicken breast sliced in half lengthways
- Salt & pepper
- 1 brown onion finely diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2-3 sticks of celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup dried small pasta
- 4 tablespoons dairy-free butter
- 3 tablespoons plain flour
- 1 ½ cups oat milk or other dairy-free milk
- Fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- In the base of a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken breast pieces and cook for a few minutes until just browned on both sides. The chicken won’t be cooked yet, but that’s okay. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into the pot and sauté for a few minutes until softened, using a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits of chicken from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken stock to the pot with the vegetables and add back in the chicken pieces. Turn the heat down to low and simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes or until the chicken has cooked through.
- Remove the cooked chicken and set aside on a chopping board. Chop into small pieces.
- To the soup, add in the dried pasta and allow to gently simmer for about 10 minutes or until just cooked.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the white sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the dairy-free butter. Add in the plain flour and mix, cooking for a minute or two. Slowly add the oat milk a little at a time, mixing well between each addition, until the mixture resembles a thick and creamy sauce.
- When the pasta is almost done cooking, add the chopped chicken back to the pot along with the white sauce. Mix well, letting the soup cook for a few more minutes until combined and thickened. Stir through the chopped parsley and taste, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Made this recipe? Leave a review!