This simple, savory soup comes from Ayre’s Tearoom and is so easy to make at home! This vintage recipe is elegant but easy to make.

Overhead view of 2 large, wide-lipped bowls of chicken velvet soup on a neutral table with white wine.

🥣 What Makes This Recipe So Good

The base of this soup is a thick, creamy sauce that is absolutely heavenly. It’s made with simple ingredients, but tastes so luxurious! That creamy sauce coats tender chicken, making every spoonful comforting and absolutely delicious. It’s a hearty and filling soup that will keep you satisfied without making you feel weighed down. Even the pickiest of eaters will love this chicken velvet soup!

Chicken velvet soup only uses a handful of ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your panty. It comes together super quickly, which is perfect for busy weeknights or any time you’re wanting a quick and delicious meal. You can even easily double this recipe if you’re serving a larger crowd, or want to enjoy this tasty soup throughout the week!

👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

You can totally customize the flavors of this soup! While chicken velvet soup is delicious in its original form, you can totally add some hot sauce or a pinch of paprika to spice it up a notch.
This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken. If you don’t have leftover chicken, you could also grab a rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked chicken from the grocery store. This would also reduce prep time if you’ve got an especially busy weeknight. Because this recipe only calls for 1 cup of chopped chicken, you’ll have plenty of rotisserie chicken or plain chicken leftover to use in another meal!

Close-up of a wide-lipped bowls of chicken velvet soup on a neutral table with white wine.

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Chicken Velvet Soup

Chicken velvet soup is simple, easy to make, and so delicious! Only made with a few ingredients, it's a perfect way to stay cozy while staying on budget.

Prep: 15

Cook: 25

Total: 40

Recipe Makes: 6 servings

Equipment

large, heavy-bottomed pot
large whisk

Ingredients

▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick, softened)
▢ ½ cup all-purpose flour
▢ 1 cup heavy whipping cream (at room temperature)
▢ 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
▢ 1 cup cooked and shredded chicken
▢ 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
▢ freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Place large pot on stovetop over medium-high heat. Add 8 tablespoons unsalted butter to pot and let butter melt completely, swirling and tilting pot occasionally to distribute butter across surface.
When butter is melted, sprinkle ½ cup all-purpose flour into pot. Whisk vigorously until ingredients are combined into smooth paste, approximately 1 minute.
Remove pot from heat and let cool slightly. Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, then whisk to incorporate liquids into roux. Return pot to heat.
Bring mixture to boil and stir occasionally until mixture thickens, approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
Once liquid has thickened, reduce heat under pot to medium. Add 1 cup cooked and shredded chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Whisk gently to incorporate ingredients.
Increase heat under pot to medium-high and bring mixture to boil. Boil soup, stirring occasionally, until chicken is warmed through, approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
Once chicken is ready, turn off heat and let soup cool slightly. Ladle soup into serving bowls and serve warm.

Notes

Chicken: This is a great way to use up leftover chicken from a recent meal, or you could shred a prepared rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. If you want to cook chicken specifically for this soup, see this post for The Best Shredded Chicken + 5 Shredding Methods.
Extra Protein: Feel free to use more than 1 cup of shredded chicken in your soup to boost the protein content. Make sure all the chicken is heated through before serving!
Rice: Long-grain brown rice would also work here, but will take almost twice as long to cook, and is usually chewier than white rice.

Recipe costs provided are approximate. Actual cost per recipe & serving will vary by location, store, brand, etc. Approximate cost shown does not include costs for any optional ingredients.

Nutrition

Nutrition Disclaimer

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used. To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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Recipe by Cheryl Malik

Chicken Velvet Soup

🥣 What Makes This Recipe So Good

👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

🍲 More Soups We Love