This creamy sourdough chicken pot pie soup is a new family favorite at dinner time in my home! This soup uses sourdough starter or discard to thicken up a delicious warming soup, made with poached chicken and diced vegetables of your choice. I love making this easy sourdough chicken pot pie soup and serving it with fresh sourdough bread when I’m not in the mood to make a pastry base for a chicken pot pie.
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Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
- Rich, Savory Flavor – Sourdough starter or discard adds a gentle tang and extra depth to the creamy broth, making this chicken pot pie soup taste even richer and more comforting without overpowering the classic flavors.
- Easy to Make Your Own – This is a very forgiving soup, so you can swap the vegetables for what you have on hand or adjust the consistency to suit your family. Keep it thick and hearty like a pot pie filling, or add a little extra broth for a looser soup.
- Uses Plenty of Sourdough Discard – With 120 g of starter or discard in the recipe, this is an easy way to use up a generous amount without baking another loaf of bread. The discard also helps thicken the soup while adding flavor, making it especially useful in a savory dinner recipe.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Chicken Breast – I use two to three chicken breasts for this recipe. If you don’t have time to poach the chicken, feel free to swap for rotisserie chicken or other pre-cooked chicken for the filling. This is also a great way to use leftover roast chicken, or turkey after Thanksgiving!
- Chicken Stock or Broth – you can use homemade or store bought broth, or use stock cubes and dissolve into water.
- Vegetables – I’ve used onions, celery, carrots, peas and corn in this recipe. I love the pops of colors added by the peas and corn! I’ve used frozen vegetables here for ease, but either fresh or frozen will work, no need to thaw. Green beans and spinach would be delicious options too.
- Garlic & Thyme – I’ve used fresh garlic and thyme, but you can use garlic powder and dried thyme if you don’t have fresh on hand. Parsley and chives also work well in this soup.
- Sourdough Starter – Either active starter or discard will work to thicken this sourdough chicken pot pie soup. You’ll just want to ensure that your sourdough discard isn’t too old or it will make the soup taste sour.
- Butter – As always, I’ve used salted butter but unsalted works fine as well.
- Heavy Cream – I’ve used heavy cream for a nice luxurious finish, but you could use whole milk if you prefer. I start with about 60 grams and add more as desired.
- White Wine – If you don’t have any white wine (or would prefer not to cook with it), I like to use water with a splash of vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or even white vinegar will all work to add a hint of acidity and help deglaze the pan. Use water as an alternative if you don’t want to use alcohol.
How To Make Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Sourdough Discard
Making this sourdough chicken pot pie soup is similar to the filling of my sourdough chicken pot pie. You’ll first need to poach the chicken breasts in chicken stock, along with fresh thyme. It’s really important not to let the poaching liquid boil as it can make the chicken breast tough and dry. Once the chicken is cooked through, you’ll need to let it cool before shredding the chicken. Don’t discard the poaching liquid though, as this is needed for the body of the soup.
To make the soup, you’ll need to soften the onion and garlic, and then the carrots and celery until they are cooked through. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with the white wine. This is a great way to scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, keeping the flavor in the soup broth.
Now it’s time to thicken up the soup. Add the butter and sourdough starter right into the pan with the vegetable and wine mixture. Whisk it altogether until it creates a thick uniform roux mixture with the vegetables. Once thickened, slowly whisk in the poaching liquid and the remaining chicken stock until thoroughly combined.
Bring the soup to a simmer and cook until it thickens to your liking. It’s important not to let the soup boil as this can make the texture of the soup stringy. Add the chicken, peas and corn and cook until the vegetables are just tender.
Swirl in 60 grams of cream, adding more if desired for the color and consistency you prefer. Add the salt, pepper and some fresh thyme (leaves removed from the stalk). Taste for seasoning and serve with freshly baked sourdough bread.
Kate’s Pro Tip
Soup Consistency
The consistency of this soup is really up to you. If you want a thicker stew-like consistency, let the soup thicken more. You can even increase the sourdough starter to 150 grams for a thicker consistency and more pronounced tang. If you’d prefer a thinner soup, remove from heat sooner or whisk in more chicken stock.
What To Serve With This Soup
This sourdough chicken pot pie soup makes such a lovely hearty meal. I love adding sides also made with my sourdough starter to make this soup a filling, hearty meal. Here are some of our favorites:
- Sourdough Bread Bowls – I love serving this delicious soup in individual sourdough bread bowls. My kids love eating it this way!
- Sourdough Croutons – Top the soup with crispy sourdough croutons.
- Sourdough Biscuits – Flaky, golden brown sourdough biscuits make a delicious accompaniment to this soup.
How To Store and Freeze
This sourdough chicken pot pie soup will last in the refrigerator for three to five days in an airtight container. Keep in mind that once it chills, it will thicken up. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop and it will loosen up slightly, or you can whisk in additional water or stock to thin it out further.
You can also freeze the chicken pot pie soup in an airtight container. Be sure to leave enough room in your container for expansion. Freeze for up to three months, then thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Sourdough Discard
Equipment
- Large Heavy Based Pot
Ingredients
Poached Chicken
- 600 g Chicken Breast , (approx. 2 chicken breasts)
- 1200 g Chicken Broth, (from stock cubes or homemade)
- 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
Soup
- 25 g Olive Oil
- 150 g Onion, (1 medium onion, diced)
- 3 cloves Garlic, (minced)
- 150 g Carrot, (2 medium carrots, diced)
- 80 g Celery, (2 celery ribs, diced)
- 100 g White Wine
- 60 g Butter
- 120 g Sourdough Starter, (or sourdough discard)
- 10 g Salt, (2 tsp)
- 3 g Pepper, (1 tsp)
- 120 g Peas, (fresh or frozen)
- 120 g Corn, (fresh or frozen)
- 60 g Heavy Cream, (60-80 g)
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a small heavy based pot and cover with half the chicken stock (about 600 g). Add two thyme sprigs and warm the mixture on the stove until it's just simmering.
- Allow the chicken to gently simmer in the poaching liquid for around 15 minutes or until it's completely cooked through. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool slightly before removing the chicken and setting aside the poaching liquid (you'll add it to the soup later).
- Slice the chicken breasts cross-wise into a few pieces, then use two forks to shred the chicken. Set aside to add to the soup later.
- Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a large heavy based pot. Saute the onion and garlic over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion softens. Add the carrots and celery and saute all the vegetables together for 5 minutes or until cooked through.
- Now, pour the white wine into the vegetables and allow the wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Let the alcohol cook off for 5 minutes before you move onto the next step.
- Add the sourdough starter and butter to the pan and whisk it with the vegetable mixture to form a thick uniform roux. Once thickened, slowly whisk in the poaching liquid and the remaining chicken stock.
- Bring the soup to a simmer and cook until it thickens to your liking. Add the chicken, peas and corn and cook until the vegetables are just tender.
- Remove from the heat. Swirl in 60 grams of cream, adding more if desired for the color and consistency you prefer. Add the salt, pepper and some fresh thyme (leaves removed from the stalk). Taste for seasoning and serve with freshly baked sourdough bread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Rate and comment below!
Do you have a metric to English converter on your recipes?
Not sure what you mean by English converter? I only cook and bake using a scale because it makes life much easier 🙂
This is a fabulous recipe that I will be repeating!! I did a few changes, like using ground Thyme instead of sprigs. I used more chicken stock that in recipe and therefore used a bit more Discard. Also added chopped green pepper and used Carrot Sticks rather than slices.
I’m so glad you tried this Connie – and loved it! Thanks so much for leaving a review 🙂 xo
Amazing soup recipe! Flavour and consistency are both excellent! Will definitely be making again!