Chicken Potato Chowder with White Beans

I flavored this Chicken Potato Chowder with fresh rosemary and amped up the creaminess with a little cream cheese. The ultimate winter soup!

Creating This Cheesy Chicken Chowder Recipe

This recipe for chicken potato chowder started came to fruition on one of those nights where I found myself starting into the pantry wondering what on earth I was going to make for dinner.

You might be pleased to know that I am not perfect at meal planning.  Or at making just the right thing every night at home for dinner. That we eat out on occasion. Or eat simple things like grilled cheese for dinner. But lately I have had enough of that.

I have had periods of time where I am really organized but lately I feel very much like a chicken running around with her head cut off. I have so much wanted to sit down to a delicious home cooked meal and feel completely satisfied upon completion of that meal.

On that busy night I knew soup or chowder would be the answer to that craving. Even on nights when I’m scrounging through the pantry and fridge after days of failed plans to go to the grocery store, I can usually drum up enough ingredients for a soup or chowder.

A cheesy chicken chowder recipe probably sounds decadent. Really, I didn’t have enough potatoes for Baked Potato Soup and not enough chicken for much else.

The chowder was looking awfully bland in color so I asked Eric to swing by the store on his way home for a bunch of kale to add some color and more vegetables. Some stale bread turned Homemade Sourdough Garlic Butter Croutons and crumbled bacon turned this pantry emergency into a masterpiece.

It turns out this makeshift chicken potato chowder was good enough to add into the rotation. We’ve already enjoyed it a few times this fall — good thing I took notes that first time I made this tasty chowder recipe so I was able to recreate it.

Chicken Potato Chowder Ingredients

I threw lots of spices and veggies into this creamy chicken potato soup recipe. Here’s what I wound up using:

• Olive oil
• Butter
• Onion
• Garlic
• Chicken breasts
• Broth
• Fresh rosemary
• Red potatoes
• Herbs and spices
• All-purpose flour
• Milk
• Cream cheese
• Cannellini beans
• Kale

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

How to Make Chicken Potato Chowder

I kept this chicken chowder recipe as easy as possible for the sake of getting something on the dinner table quickly.

1. In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the onion and sauté until tender and golden.
2. Add the garlic, then the diced chicken. Cook with the onion and garlic until golden on the outside.
3. Stir in the broth, rosemary springs, bay leaf, and potatoes. Bring to a boil.
4. Turn the heat to low and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, whisk the flour into the milk. After the broth has simmered, stir in the flour and milk mixture along with the cream cheese and cannellini beans.
6. Add a dash of nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer until the potatoes are tender.
7. Just before serving, stir in the kale and cook until tender and wilted.

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

Can I Make This Recipe Gluten-Free?

I’ve only made the chicken chowder recipe as instructed, but I imagine you can make it gluten-free by simply substituting the all-purpose flour.

To thicken this chowder, I created a mixture of water and flour that I added to the broth. As the chowder cooks, this thickens it. This water and flour mixture is often referred to as a “slurry.”

You can also use cornstarch to thicken this creamy chowder. Cornstarch is a good alternative thickening agent if you are avoiding wheat or gluten. Cornstarch is more powerful than flour, so you’ll use half as much cornstarch for the same results as achieved using flour.

Can I Freeze Chicken Chowder?

Because this cheesy chicken chowder is made with so much dairy, I don’t recommend freezing it. Dairy-rich soups tend to become grainy once frozen. They’re still safe to eat, but the texture can be unappealing.

Tips for Making Chicken Potato Chowder

• I used a mixture of olive oil and butter for sautéing the onion and garlic. Butter is prone to burning, so you need to combine it with a little oil to prevent it from doing so.
• You could likely add pre-cooked chicken to the chowder near the end of the cook time to shorten the prep work a bit.
• Use any type of milk you’d like in this chowder recipe. If using a non-dairy milk, make sure it’s mild in flavor and is unsweetened.

More Easy Fall Soups:

Need some more soup and chowder inspiration? Here are a few favorite recipes for this time of year.

Combine the pure comfort of a loaded baked potato with the warming power of a bowl of hot soup and you have a this Baked Potato Soup.

I love that this Italian Wedding Soup with Chicken Meatballs helps stretch out the produce that is available during the fall and winter!

This Roasted Cauliflower Soup is thick, creamy, and flavorful without being loaded down with heavy cream. I served the cauliflower soup with bacon for added flavor!

This Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup is warm and spicy. Plus, you likely have all the ingredients on hand! 

Black beans, sweet potatoes, fire roasted salsa, and poblanos pair with black beans in this hearty, easy meatless Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili.

Do you ever create unexpected deliciousness in your kitchen?

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Rosemary Chicken Chowder with White Beans

Yield: serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

This recipe for Rosemary Chicken Chowder with White Beans started came to fruition on one of those nights where I found myself starting into the pantry wondering what on earth I was going to make for dinner.

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Ingredients

For the Soup:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite-size chunks
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 large sprigs of rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 12 ounces unpeeled red potatoes, cut into bite-size cubes
• 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup cream cheese
• 1 can Bush's Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
• dash nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
• 2 - 3 ounces of chopped kale

Instructions

1. In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the onion and saute for 5-7 minutes, or until tender and golden. Add the garlic and saute for an additional minute. Now, add the chicken and cook with the onion and garlic until cooked through and golden on the outside.
2. Stir in the broth along with the rosemary springs, bay leaf, and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Then, turn the heat to low and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the broth is fragrant with the smell of rosemary.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the flour into the milk. After the broth has simmered, stir in the flour and milk mixture along with the cream cheese and cannellini beans. Turn heat up to medium until it reaches a slow boil again. Then, turn the heat back down to low to maintain a simmer. Add a dash of nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer until the potatoes are tender.
4. Just before serving, stir in the kale and cook until tender and wilted, about 3 - 5 minutes over low. Remove the bay leaf and rosemary. Serve topped with Homemade Sourdough Garlic Butter Croutons and Bacon Crumbles.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 609Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 173mgSodium: 666mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 5gSugar: 3gProtein: 56g

GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.

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