How To Make the Cheesecake Factory Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe

The best cream of chicken soup recipe is thought by many to be available at a certain favorite national restaurant. But this is only because they haven’t made their own from scratch at home. Keep reading to learn how to make your own version of the Cheesecake Factory’s cream of chicken soup and make it even better!

Why Cream of Chicken Soup?

Anyone who’s ever had cream of anything soup knows it’s a velvety, warm, and satisfying experience. It’s also versatile. You can enjoy your cream of chicken soup as it is or adjust it to suit your needs.

Here’s why people love this cream of chicken recipe:

• When you decide to make your own at home, you’ll be surprised to see that it’s not too complicated. You can even find your own shortcuts to help you save even more time!
• The creaminess of the soup is comforting and satisfying. It can also bring a rich, buttery base to any casserole.
• You can make your recipe healthier to reduce fat and calories without sacrificing taste.
• All of the ingredients in this soup are friendly on the wallet. It’s especially affordable for large families. Just make a large pot, serve, and put away the leftovers for lunch or quick meals.

You can also create your own variations with different ingredients and seasonings. Each time you make your own recipe, you can make it deliciously and uniquely yours.

Here’s a Cheesecake Factory Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe

When you’re ready to make this recipe, you’re putting together an amazingly tasty blend of creamy, rich broth, tender chicken, and vegetables. It truly is a full meal in a bowl! Here’s the recipe for cream of chicken soup:

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 medium white onion, chopped (may substitute with any onion you have on hand)
• 1 large red pepper, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (may substitute 1 tsp dried)
• 2 cups raw chicken, chopped
• 8 oz mushroom caps (white or cremini are good)
• ½ cup of dry, white wine
• 4 cups of chicken broth or stock (may substitute bouillon – follow package instructions)
• 2 cups potatoes, chopped (Yukon or red are best, but may use any)
• 2 cups milk (2% or whole milk – the higher the fat content, the richer the broth will be)
• ¼ cup of all-purpose flour
• 14 oz jar or can of artichoke hearts in water, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place a large stockpot over medium heat and melt the butter.
2. Once the butter is melted, add the onion, red pepper, garlic, celery, thyme, and chicken to the pot. Cook while stirring occasionally until the veggies are tender and the chicken is cooked.
3. While the vegetables and chicken cook, stem the mushrooms and cut the tips into ½ inch pieces. Add to the veggies and chicken. Cook for an additional five minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the white wine, stock or broth, and potatoes. Bring to a boil.
5. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally.
6. Put milk into a medium bowl and sift in the flour, whisking as you do. Slowly stir the mixture into the soup. Allow the soup to simmer for about 15 minutes or until the soup thickens, stirring often.
7. Finally, add the artichoke hearts, cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined before serving.

If you find that your soup is too thick, you may add additional broth or stock until you reach the desired consistency. You may also reduce the amount of flour added to the milk before combining it with the soup to make a thinner broth.

Many like to serve this soup with crusty bread or a hearty salad. However, this soup is a satisfying, complete meal on its own if you’d prefer it.

Play Around With Seasonings

The recipe above calls for thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper for the original soup. Yet there’s a big world of spices you can test out each time you make a pot of this soup! Consider adding:

• Smoked paprika
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Basil
• Cayenne (only if you enjoy heat!)

This is just a handful of delicious, savory herbs to get you started. Once you try them out, you’ll be inspired to add your favorite herbs, too.

Tips on Making a Healthier Version

Depending on your health and dietary needs, there are ways you can make this recipe even healthier. They include:

• Purchase, use, or make your own broth or stock with reduced sodium.
• Add more vegetables like carrots, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and more for more vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
• Use skim milk or a milk alternative. You won’t have the richness of fuller fat milk, but you’ll reduce your soup’s overall fat content.
• Don’t add cheese to lower the fat and calorie count.

You don’t need any particular reason to alter this recipe for a healthier version! Instead, target the areas you’d like to improve and make the changes there.

Side Dishes to Accompany Your Cheesecake Factory Cream of Chicken Soup

While crusty bread and a salad are the ideal side dishes for many people with this soup, there are other arguably equal or better options! When you’re looking for a change or want to bulk up your meal, you can consider:

• Adding rice to the soup or serving a rice pilaf alongside it
• Baked potato
• Cornbread
• Garlic bread
• Roasted brussels sprouts
• Mashed potatoes
• Sauteed mushrooms
• Roasted or steamed asparagus
• Small fruit salad

Don’t limit yourself to this list. If it sounds good to you as a side with your soup, try it.

Shortcuts to Help Cut Down on Prep Time

This recipe is already pretty simple, but you can still save some time when needed. When in a pinch, you can:

• Buy canned or already-cooked chicken.
• Buy pre-cut vegetables in your local grocery store.
• Skip the milk and flour thickening mixture. Switch out half of your milk for heavy cream. Your soup won’t be as thick as you’d expect it to be with the original recipe, but you’ll make up for it with the richness of the cream.

Can You Store Your Cream of Chicken Soup for Later?

Once you’ve made your soup, you may want to save some to enjoy another time. You have a couple of options for storage, including:

• Refrigerator: You can store this soup for up to five days in an airtight container.
• Freezer: You can place the leftover soup in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to three months.

While it’s unlikely that you’ll have soup to put away very often, it does store nicely. Then simply thaw, warm, and eat.

Anyone Can Enjoy the Cheesecake Factory Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe at Home

Even though you can always go to the Cheesecake Factory to enjoy your favorite soup, you can save time and money when you make it at home. You can also customize the soup to meet your tastes and pair it with a different side each time you serve it. Now you’ll always be ready to enjoy such an amazingly delicious soup at home, any day of the week.

You can also read:

• How to Make Andersen’s Split Pea Soup Recipe at Home
• How to Make the Benihana Onion Soup Recipe at Home
• How to Make Panera Bread’s French Onion Soup Recipe at Home
• How to Make the Olive Garden Wedding Soup Recipe at Home
• A Delciously Tasty Vegetarian Sauerkraut Soup Recipe