Description
This Crack Chicken Soup is the ultimate comfort food, featuring tender chicken in a rich, creamy broth. It’s loaded with savory flavors and is sure to become a family favorite!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (cooked and shredded)
- 1 packet dry ranch seasoning mix
- 6–8 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup milk or half-and-half (or heavy cream)
- Optional: fresh green onions or chives (for garnish)
- Optional: sour cream (for garnish)
- Optional: extra crispy bacon (for garnish)
- Optional: extra shredded cheese (for garnish)
Instructions
- Crisp the Bacon: In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain, crumble, and set aside, reserving some drippings in the pot.
- Sauté the Aromatics: Add the chopped onion to the pot with the reserved bacon drippings. Cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until softened, then stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Build the Broth Base: Pour in the chicken broth and sprinkle in the dry ranch seasoning mix. Whisk to ensure the seasoning is fully dissolved and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.
- Melt the Cream Cheese: Reduce heat to low and add the softened cream cheese in small chunks. Whisk continuously until melted and the soup base is smooth and creamy.
- Add Chicken and Simmer: Stir in the cooked, shredded chicken and let the soup gently simmer for about 5-10 minutes to meld flavors and warm the chicken.
- Stir in Cheese and Dairy: Add the shredded cheddar cheese and milk (or half-and-half/cream) to the pot. Stir until the cheese is fully melted and incorporated, adjusting seasonings as needed.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the warm soup into bowls and top with crumbled crispy bacon, fresh green onions or chives, and extra shredded cheddar cheese if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg
Keywords: Avoid boiling the soup after adding dairy to prevent curdling. Use room temperature cream cheese for smooth melting, and shred your own cheese for the best texture.