Trust me, Ina Garten's chicken pot pie soup is the only dish you need to make this winter (2024)

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Ina Garten's chicken pot pie soup was inspired by a dish she spotted at an airport.

Garten shares the origin story for chicken pot pie soup in her 2020 cookbook, "Modern Comfort Food."

"This was a little crazy," she writes in the recipe's intro. "I was walking through an airport once and spotted chicken pot pie soup on a restaurant menu. What a good idea!"

"It was actually harder to make than it sounded — my first few attempts just tasted like chicken pot pie filling, not soup," she added. "This one, though, hit all the right comforting notes, with good chicken stock, roasted chicken, and puff pastry croutons."

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Garten's chicken pot pie soup is packed with colorful veggies.

To make Garten's soup for a serving of 6, you'll need:

• 3 chicken breasts, skin-on, bone-in (2.5 to 3 pounds total)

• 7 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade*

• 5 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chopped or diced

• 3 leeks, white and light-green parts chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 fennel, tops and cores removed, chopped

• 1 cup frozen whole pearl onions

• 1 10-ounce bag frozen peas

• ¾ cup cream sherry

• ¼ cup Wondra flour

• ¼ cup fresh parsley, minced

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

• 1 piece of Italian Parmesan cheese rind (Garten recommends 2-inch x 3-inch)

*I had already made a big batch of Garten's homemade chicken stock before I whipped up her ravioli en brodo soup. You can find the recipe here.

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The soup is served with easy puff pastry croutons, which only require a few ingredients.

To make 12 croutons for the chicken pot pie soup, you'll need:

• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, such as Pepperidge Farm, defrosted

• 1 extra-large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream for the egg wash

• All-purpose flour

• Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper

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Before starting my soup, I needed to roast the chicken.

I preheated the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then placed my three chicken breasts on a sheet pan with the skin side up.

I rubbed the skin of each chicken with olive oil, then generously seasoned them with salt and pepper.

Garten says to roast the chicken for 35 minutes, until the thermometer registers 130 to 140 degrees, then set it aside until the meat is cool enough to handle.

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I also prepped my veggies.

I chopped the fennel, tarragon leaves, and carrots and minced my garlic.

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Per Garten's instructions, I took extra care with the leeks.

Garten says you should cut off the leeks' dark green leaves at a 45-degree angle. Then, chop the white and light green parts from each leek and wash them well in a bowl of water.

She notes that wet leeks will steam rather than sauté in the soup and recommends drying them in a salad spinner. If you don't have one at home, you can just pat them dry in a paper towel —it did the trick for me.

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Once all my veggies were ready, I threw them in a big pot with melted butter.

I melted the butter over medium heat before throwing in the leeks, fennel, and carrots.

I then sautéed the veggies over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garten notes that the leeks should be tender but not browned.

After sautéeing the carrots, leeks, and fennel, I added the garlic and tarragon and cooked everything together for an additional minute.

I sprinkled the flour over my aromatics and let everything cook for two more minutes.

Garten says you should be stirring the pot constantly during this step.

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Then, I added half a cup of sherry.

While cooking, I didn't realize that I was using dry sherry instead of cream sherry, which Garten specifies in her recipe. Truthfully, I haven't cooked with sherry much and just grabbed the first bottle I saw at the supermarket.

But the soup still tasted fantastic, so I wouldn't stress too much if dry sherry is all you have.

I also threw in the chicken stock and Parmesan rind.

I seasoned the broth with 4 teaspoons of salt and 1½ teaspoons of pepper.

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As I brought the soup to a boil, my kitchen filled with the most incredible smell.

My boyfriend's roommates returned from a trip while we were cooking and immediately came into the kitchen to see what we were making.

I then lowered the heat and let my soup simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.

While the soup was simmering, I removed the meat from the chicken bones and diced it into 1-inch pieces.

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As my soup continued to simmer, I made my puff pastry croutons.

I first preheated the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and lined a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Then, I lightly dusted my cutting board with flour and unfolded a sheet of puff pastry on the board. Make sure you've properly thawed your puff pastry beforehand. You can defrost it overnight in your refrigerator or let it sit on the counter for 45 minutes before you whip up the croutons.

I dusted the puff pastry with flour and lightly rolled the sheet to smooth out any folds. You can use a rolling pin for this step, or just use your bottle of sherry! Whatever rolling tool you pick, just make sure to dust it with some flour so it doesn't stick.

I used a fluted cookie cutter to make 12 croutons.

Garten recommends using star-shaped or fluted round cookie cutters, but next time, I might try dicing the puff pastry instead so I can have bite-sized croutons that are easier to eat with each spoonful.

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I placed the croutons on my sheet pan and brushed each top with the egg wash.

I had plenty of dough left over after I cut my 12 croutons, so I made extra — there's no need to waste good puff pastry!

I seasoned each crouton with salt and pepper and then threw my pan into the oven for 10 minutes.

Every oven is different, so I recommend checking on them around the 8-minute mark. You'll know the croutons are ready when they're puffed and golden brown.

While my croutons were baking, I added the chicken, peas, and pearl onions to my soup.

I let the soup simmer, uncovered, for an additional five minutes.

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Then, I took my soup off the heat, removed the Parmesan rind, and added another ¼ cup of sherry.

This is also when I added the minced parsley.

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I took my croutons out of the oven and served them on top of each bowl of soup, which genuinely resembled chicken pot pie.

I'm truly thankful to whatever airport had chicken pot pie soup on its menu because Garten's recipe is the comfort meal of dreams.

Her homemade chicken stock is so silky, delicious, and rich that I've already come to terms with the fact I'll never be able to use store-bought stock again. All the veggies make each sip deliciously hearty and keep the soup in line with the spirit of pot pie, and I love how much tender chicken I got with each spoonful. The fluffy and buttery croutons are such a fun and indulgent addition, and they're even more delicious after soaking up all that broth.

My boyfriend Peter loved this dish so much he declared it's the best soup we've made all winter —and we've made a lot.

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Garten's chicken pot pie soup has earned a permanent spot in my soup rotation.

I've discovered a real love for making homemade soups this winter, and this Barefoot Contessa recipe is easily one of my favorites.

While it takes some time and prep, Garten's chicken pot pie soup is worth the extra effort. It's hearty, comforting, and truly soothes every inch of the soul. It's perfect for a nice winter dinner or as a gift to a friend or family member under the weather.

It's the kind of soup that core memories are made from.