COLORFUL
Crack Chicken Soup is the epitome of comfort food, merging heartiness with mouth-watering flavors to create a dish that feels like a warm hug. This easy-to-follow recipe transforms simple ingredients into a culinary masterpiece. It’s ideal for cozy family dinners, potlucks, or just when you need a little pick-me-up. This soup is not just a meal; it’s an experience.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy and Convenient: With straightforward instructions and common ingredients, this recipe is incredibly easy to follow. Plus, it offers the convenience of using rotisserie chicken, making it a great option for busy weeknights.
- Versatile: This soup can be easily adapted to suit different tastes and dietary preferences. Whether you want to make it spicier, vegetarian, or dairy-free, this recipe can be modified to cater to everyone.
- Nutritious: Packed with protein from the chicken and bacon, and enriched with vegetables like carrots and celery, this soup is not only delicious but also offers nutritional benefits.
Crack Chicken Soup Ingredients
- Chicken Breast
- Bacon
- Chicken Broth
- Cream Cheese
- Ranch Dressing Mix
- Cheddar Cheese
- Onion
- Garlic
- Heavy Cream
- Carrots
- Celery
- Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
*Scroll to Printable Recipe Card below for detailed amounts!
How to Make Crack Chicken Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Prepare Ingredients: Cook and shred the chicken breast. Cook the bacon until crispy, then crumble it. Chop the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add Broth and Chicken: Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the shredded chicken. Reduce heat to low.
- Mix in Cream Cheese and Ranch: In a bowl, mix the softened cream cheese with the ranch dressing mix until smooth. Add this mixture to the pot and stir until the cream cheese is melted and well combined.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Stir in the heavy cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking on low heat until everything is heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with cheese, bacon and chopped green onions. Serve hot.
- Optional: For a thicker soup, you can add a roux made from flour and butter, or mix in some cornstarch dissolved in a little water.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
How to Store Crack Chicken Soup:
Leftover Crack Chicken Soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to Reheat Crack Chicken Soup:
To reheat, simply warm it over medium heat in a pot, stirring occasionally. If the soup is too thick, you can thin it out with a bit of chicken broth or water.
Helpful Tips & Substitutions
Can This Be Frozen?
Yes, this soup freezes beautifully! Let the soup cool completely and store it in freezer-safe containers. It can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as mentioned above.
Can This Be Made Ahead of Time?
Absolutely! You can prepare this soup a day in advance. In fact, letting it sit in the fridge overnight allows the flavors to meld together beautifully. Just reheat it on the stove before serving.
Substitutions & Variations
- Vegetarian Version: Skip the chicken and bacon. Use vegetable broth and add more veggies like mushrooms or bell peppers.
- Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free cream cheese and a dairy-free cheese alternative.
- Spicy Kick: Add some red pepper flakes or diced jalapeños for a bit of heat.
Helpful Cooking Notes
- Roux for Thicker Soup: For a thicker consistency, you can make a roux with flour and butter and add it to the soup.
- Cornstarch Alternative: Alternatively, mix some cornstarch with water and stir it into the soup to thicken it.
- Slow Cooker Option: This recipe can easily be adapted for a slow cooker. Just add all the ingredients except the cream, cheese, and garnishes, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Try Some of our Other Favorite Soup Recipes
Discover the comfort with Crack Chicken Soup. Perfect for cozy nights, it's a hearty, delicious meal that's sure to become a favorite.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound Chicken Breast, cooked and shredded (feel free to use rotisserie chicken)
- 6 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 packet Ranch Dressing Mix, about 1-2 tablespoons
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 1 medium Onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 medium Carrots, diced
- 2 stalks Celery, diced
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Additional Crumbled Bacon, Shredded Cheese and chopped Green Onions, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare Ingredients: Cook and shred the chicken breast. Cook the bacon until crispy, then crumble it. Chop the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add Broth and Chicken: Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the shredded chicken. Reduce heat to low.
- Mix in Cream Cheese and Ranch: In a bowl, mix the softened cream cheese with the ranch dressing mix until smooth. Add this mixture to the pot and stir until the cream cheese is melted and well combined.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Stir in the heavy cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking on low heat until everything is heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with cheese, bacon and chopped green onions. Serve hot.
- Optional: For a thicker soup, you can add a roux made from flour and butter, or mix in some cornstarch dissolved in a little water.
NOTES
Storage and Reheating Instructions
How to Store Crack Chicken Soup:
Leftover Crack Chicken Soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.How to Reheat Crack Chicken Soup:
To reheat, simply warm it over medium heat in a pot, stirring occasionally. If the soup is too thick, you can thin it out with a bit of chicken broth or water.Helpful Tips & Substitutions
Can This Be Frozen?
Yes, this soup freezes beautifully! Let the soup cool completely and store it in freezer-safe containers. It can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as mentioned above.Can This Be Made Ahead of Time?
Absolutely! You can prepare this soup a day in advance. In fact, letting it sit in the fridge overnight allows the flavors to meld together beautifully. Just reheat it on the stove before serving.Substitutions & Variations
- Vegetarian Version: Skip the chicken and bacon. Use vegetable broth and add more veggies like mushrooms or bell peppers.
- Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free cream cheese and a dairy-free cheese alternative.
- Spicy Kick: Add some red pepper flakes or diced jalapeños for a bit of heat.
Helpful Cooking Notes
- Roux for Thicker Soup: For a thicker consistency, you can make a roux with flour and butter and add it to the soup.
- Cornstarch Alternative: Alternatively, mix some cornstarch with water and stir it into the soup to thicken it.
- Slow Cooker Option: This recipe can easily be adapted for a slow cooker. Just add all the ingredients except the cream, cheese, and garnishes, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
NUTRITION
Serving: 6gCalories: 528kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 28gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 171mgSodium: 1114mgPotassium: 550mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4828IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 221mgIron: 1mg
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