Macro-balanced Pot Pie Soup
Soups keep coming and they don’t stop coming… not until we see temps above 50 degrees here in Utah, anyway. Soups are THE BEST for so many reasons. Here are a few of them:
They’re convenient AF
You can load them with vegetables
You can load them with FROZEN vegetables (even less prep time)
The slow cooker (or Instant Pot) does most of the work
You can prep soups before work then come home to dinner
You can make giant batches and serve up a whole week of meals with one pot
Some of them freeze well (not this one though, due to the milk. Sorry!)
And they warm your heart and belly with goodness <3
I threw this soup together on Saturday night and let it cook on low heat up until morning. At that point, all I needed to do was shred the chicken, add in my milk and thickeners, then distribute the soup into meal prep dishes. If effortless is your meal prep style, this is the soup recipe for you.
Let’s Talk Puff Pastry
It’s not the healthiest stuff, but it’s also what makes pot pie POT PIE. Instead of omitting the puff pastry, I decided to portion it out and keep it macro-balanced. This move was so extra, but why not cut the pastry into pretty hearts?! You know, to ensure accurate portions :)
PS cutting puff pastry into hearts is so extra and not necessary (but I will not stop you). If you don’t have a cookie cutter, I recommend a serving size of one 4x4 inch sheet per serving. You can cut them into squares, circles, or eat the sheet on top like a traditional pot pie.
Frozen or Fresh Veggies?
Are frozen vegetables up to par nutritionally? The answer’s yes! Frozen vegetables are picked at their peak of freshness. There is less worry about spoilage with frozen veggies, and they’re the perfect low-prep addition for soups and stews. Fresh veggies may offer more “crunch” than frozen, but when it comes to nutrition, frozen vegetables offer the same amount of vitamins found in fresh-picked produce. They’re also a solid choice if you’re concerned about reducing food waste (like I am) or if you’re eating clean on a budget (also, same!)
I wrote a post about food waste and plastic consumption, by the way.
And these are some food budgeting tips, for those interested!
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Give this creamy chicken soup a try and let me see! Tag #fuelingfunction on Instagram or give me a tag on Facebook. I love seeing checking out what you’re whipping up in the kitchen. Til next time, prep happy my people!
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Macro-Balanced
pot pie soup
Yields 5 servings
Ingredients
1 box chicken broth
1.5 tbsp butter, cut into chunks
3 chicken breasts
1 12oz bag frozen peas & carrots blend
1/3 cup frozen onions
4 cloves garlic - minced
1 1/2 cups milk (See note 1)
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp thyme
1 sheet puff pastry + 1 beaten egg for brushing
Thickening slurry
2 tbsp arrowroot powder (See note 2), whisked with
1/4 cup hot water
Method
Combine thyme, poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Use this mixture to coat chicken breasts. Add chicken into the slow cooker, followed by butter cubes.
To the slow cooker, add chopped garlic, frozen peas and carrots, and frozen onion.
Cover with chicken broth and stir gently to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it into bite-size pieces using two forks. Add chicken back into the pot.
In a bowl, combine arrowroot powder (cornstarch will also work) with hot water to create a slurry. Whisk the mixture together, then add it into the slow cooker.
Pour in milk, then stir to combine. Let the soup come together and thicken for 30 more minutes before turning off the slow cooker.
TO MAKE PUFF PASTRY DIPPERS: Roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry. You can either portion out 1 4x4 inch square or cut 4 hearts/circles per serving. Brush with egg wash and bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes or until the surface becomes slightly golden.
IF MEAL PREPPING: Portion soup into 5 or 6 containers and allow them to cool slightly before adding a lid and refrigerating. Keep puff pastry dry until you’re ready to eat the soup.
RECIPE NOTES
Note 1:
I used Fairlife 2% milk in here because it’s a high-protein milk (13g per cup). You can also use non-dairy milk; I recommend cashew milk because it’s very creamy.
Note 2:
If you can’t find arrowroot powder, you can use cornstarch or all-purpose flour for your slurry.
