Homemade Chicken and Potato Soup with Cream Cheese

I never understood why people made soup so complicated until I started throwing cream cheese into mine. Growing up, my mom would spend hours simmering soups on the stove, layering in flavor bit by bit. She’d have said cream cheese in soup was cheating.

But here’s the thing—it works. An 8-ounce block of softened cream cheese turns ordinary chicken and potato soup into something rich and comforting without all the fuss. No need to make a roux from scratch or simmer for half the day. You get that creamy, restaurant-style texture in about 30 minutes, and nobody at the dinner table will know you took the easy route.

What Kind of Cream Cheese Should I Use?

For this soup, regular full-fat cream cheese is your best bet since it creates that rich, creamy texture we’re going for. You can use either the brick-style cream cheese or the spreadable kind from a tub, though the brick style tends to melt more smoothly into hot soup. Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before adding it to the pot – this helps it blend in without leaving lumps. If you’re in a pinch and only have low-fat cream cheese, it’ll still work, but your soup might be a bit less creamy and satisfying than the full-fat version.

Options for Substitutions

This creamy soup is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Cream cheese: You can use sour cream or heavy cream instead, but add it at the end and stir gently to prevent curdling. For a lighter option, try Greek yogurt – just remove the pot from heat before stirring it in.
• Chicken broth: Vegetable broth works fine here, or you can use chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in water if that’s what you have on hand.
• Milk: Whole milk gives the best creaminess, but you can use 2% or even half-and-half for a richer soup. Non-dairy milk like oat or almond milk will work too, though the flavor will be slightly different.
• Potatoes: Any potato variety works – russets, red, or Yukon gold. You can even use frozen diced potatoes to save prep time, though they may get a bit softer.
• Butter: Olive oil or vegetable oil can replace the butter if needed, though you’ll lose a bit of that rich, buttery taste.
• Flour: For a gluten-free version, cornstarch works well – use about 1 tablespoon mixed with cold water and add it near the end of cooking.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake you can make with this soup is adding the cream cheese while the soup is boiling, which can cause it to separate and create an unpleasant grainy texture – always reduce the heat to low and cube the cream cheese into small pieces so it melts smoothly and evenly.

Another common error is not cooking the flour long enough with the vegetables, which can leave your soup tasting pasty instead of rich and creamy, so make sure to stir it for at least a minute before adding the liquids.

Don’t skip cutting your potatoes into uniform pieces, as different sizes will cook unevenly and leave you with some mushy chunks and some that are still hard.

Finally, if you’re reheating leftovers, do it gently over low heat and add a splash of milk or broth to bring back the creamy consistency, since cream-based soups tend to thicken considerably in the fridge.

What to Serve With Chicken and Potato Soup?

This hearty soup is pretty filling on its own, but I love serving it with some warm, crusty bread or buttery dinner rolls for dipping. A simple side salad with mixed greens and a light vinaigrette helps balance out the richness of the cream cheese, or you could go with some saltine crackers if you want to keep things easy. If you’re feeding a crowd, consider adding a platter of raw veggies like celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber slices with ranch dip on the side. For a cozy dinner, pair it with a grilled cheese made with sharp cheddar, which you can dunk right into the soup for the perfect bite.

Storage Instructions

Store: This soup keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The flavors actually get even better the next day once everything has had time to meld together. Just give it a good stir before reheating since the cream cheese might settle a bit.

Freeze: You can freeze this soup for up to 2 months, though cream-based soups can sometimes get a little grainy when thawed. If you plan to freeze it, I’d suggest slightly undercooking the potatoes so they don’t get mushy when you reheat.

Reheat: Warm it up gently on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often to keep the cream cheese from separating. You can also microwave individual portions, but use 50% power and stir every minute or so. Add a splash of milk or broth if it seems too thick after storing.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1500-1700
• Protein: 65-75 g
• Fat: 75-85 g
• Carbohydrates: 130-145 g

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter (I like Kerrygold salted butter for this style of soup)
• 1/2 cup white onion (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1/2 cup celery
• 3/4 cup carrots (diced into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3 cups chicken broth (I use Kettle & Fire organic chicken bone broth)
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups potato (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch uniform chunks)
• 8 oz cream cheese (softened to room temperature to prevent clumping)
• 2.5 cups chicken
• 1 tbsp parsley

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Build the Aromatic Base

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup white onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 3/4 cup carrots, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 cups potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

Dice the onion into 1/4-inch pieces, dice the celery and carrots into 1/2-inch uniform chunks, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch chunks, and measure out the chicken broth and milk.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, then add the diced onion, celery, and carrots.

Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion becomes translucent.

This step builds the flavor foundation of the soup by allowing the aromatics to release their natural sweetness.

Step 2: Create the Roux and Flavor Base

• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• softened vegetables from Step 1

Sprinkle the flour and garlic powder over the softened vegetables from Step 1, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste.

This creates a roux that will thicken the soup and distribute the garlic flavor evenly throughout.

I like to cook the flour this way because it prevents lumps and gives the soup a silkier texture than if you just whisked it in raw.

Step 3: Build the Broth Base and Add Potatoes

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups milk
• potato chunks from Step 1

Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and milk to the vegetable and roux mixture from Step 2, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.

Once fully incorporated, add the potato chunks from Step 1.

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are completely tender and easily pierced with a fork.

Step 4: Incorporate Cream Cheese and Chicken

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2.5 cups chicken, cooked
• 1 tbsp parsley

Remove the pot from heat and add the softened cream cheese, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until fully melted and incorporated into the soup.

The soup should look creamy and smooth.

Add the cooked chicken and fresh parsley, stirring gently to combine.

I always use room-temperature cream cheese because it melts smoothly without creating clumps—cold cream cheese can seize up in the hot broth.

Step 5: Season and Serve

Taste the soup and season generously with salt and pepper to your preference.

Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

The soup is rich and creamy with tender vegetables, perfectly cooked potatoes, and shredded chicken in every spoonful.

Homemade Chicken and Potato Soup with Cream Cheese

Delicious Homemade Chicken and Potato Soup with Cream Cheese recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 42 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Calories 1600 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 3 tbsp butter (I like Kerrygold salted butter for this style of soup)
• 1/2 cup white onion (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1/2 cup celery
• 3/4 cup carrots (diced into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3 cups chicken broth (I use Kettle & Fire organic chicken bone broth)
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups potato (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch uniform chunks)
• 8 oz cream cheese (softened to room temperature to prevent clumping)
• 2.5 cups chicken
• 1 tbsp parsley

Instructions

 

• Dice the onion into 1/4-inch pieces, dice the celery and carrots into 1/2-inch uniform chunks, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch chunks, and measure out the chicken broth and milk. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, then add the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion becomes translucent. This step builds the flavor foundation of the soup by allowing the aromatics to release their natural sweetness.
• Sprinkle the flour and garlic powder over the softened vegetables from Step 1, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste. This creates a roux that will thicken the soup and distribute the garlic flavor evenly throughout. I like to cook the flour this way because it prevents lumps and gives the soup a silkier texture than if you just whisked it in raw.
• Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and milk to the vegetable and roux mixture from Step 2, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Once fully incorporated, add the potato chunks from Step 1. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are completely tender and easily pierced with a fork.
• Remove the pot from heat and add the softened cream cheese, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until fully melted and incorporated into the soup. The soup should look creamy and smooth. Add the cooked chicken and fresh parsley, stirring gently to combine. I always use room-temperature cream cheese because it melts smoothly without creating clumps—cold cream cheese can seize up in the hot broth.
• Taste the soup and season generously with salt and pepper to your preference. Ladle into bowls and serve hot. The soup is rich and creamy with tender vegetables, perfectly cooked potatoes, and shredded chicken in every spoonful.