Experience the ultimate comfort food with a bowl of Chicken Bisque! This heartwarming soup features tender chicken pieces and vegetables simmered in a luxuriously creamy chicken broth that’s bursting with flavor. Its rich, velvety texture and nuanced seasoning make it a delectable treat for lunch or dinner.
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Creamy Chicken Bisque with Vegetables
This recipe is for a creamy and rich chicken bisque. You get a comforting, warming soup made with chicken and fresh veggies in a tasty creamy broth. This chicken bisque recipe is a variation of a traditional bisque that is made from seafood.
What Is a Bisque?
A bisque is a thick creamy soup that is traditionally made from seafood such as shrimp, lobster, crab, and crayfish. The shells of these crustaceans are ground into a fine paste to thicken the mixture.
However, modern bisques often use puréed vegetables or aromatics instead of shellfish and thicken the base with rice or some other starch. The main characteristic of a bisque is its smoothness and velvety texture.
Why You Should Try This Chicken Bisque Recipe
This recipe for chicken bisque gives you a very tasty soup that is easy to make. Also, this is a low carb chicken bisque that doesn’t surrender anything by way of taste. A savory and creamy chicken broth is filled with the most tender chicken and some fresh veggies for a simple and cozy chicken soup.
This easy recipe for chicken bisque comes together in no time for a savory soup that will be on your menu rotation all year long!
Ingredients You Will Need
Here’s your shopping list for making this homemade chicken bisque. The exact measurements are on the printable recipe card below.
- Chicken
- Celery
- Carrots
- Onion
- Pimientos
- Green pepper
- Butter
- Flour
- Salt and pepper
What Are Pimientos?
A pimiento (aka cherry pepper) is a type of red pepper that is small and heart shaped. Pimientos (also spelled pimentos) are low in heat and slightly sweet. Their taste is similar to that of a bell pepper but more tangy and pungent.
How to Make This Chicken Bisque Recipe
If you’ve never made a bisque before, it’s quite easy. Here are the steps for this creamy chicken soup recipe:
- Cut the chicken into pieces.
- Place the chicken pieces in a large soup pot and add enough water to cover them, about 3 quarts.
- Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Simmer chicken on low heat for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface during the initial boiling.
- Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and reserve the chicken stock.
- Let the chicken cool then shred the meat and discard the skin and bones.
- Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan over low heat and add chopped onion. Sauté onions until they turn translucent.
- Stir in flour and cook for 1 or 2 minutes to make a butter roux.
- Bring reserved chicken stock to a low boil and gradually stir it into the roux.
- Simmer until it takes on a glaze, about 15 minutes.
- Add pimientos, green pepper, shredded or chopped chicken, salt, and pepper.
- Add 1 cup heavy cream and simmer the bisque for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve in heated bowls. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or thyme if desired.
What to Serve With It
The creamy texture of this easy chicken bisque makes it perfect for pairing with bread or biscuits to help soak up or scoop the broth, including:
Add a Caesar or mixed green salad for a complete meal.
How to Store and Reheat Chicken Bisque Soup
Let your chicken bisque cool to room temperature before storing. Pour it into an airtight container and keep the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing Chicken Bisque: This chicken bisque freezes well. When cooled, pour it into a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 3 months. You can also freeze it in handy portions – pour each potion into a resealable bag and freeze it flat on a pan. Allow your frozen bisque to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheat by simmering and stirring on the stovetop until heated through.
More Bisque Recipes
Favorite Hearty Soup Recipes
- Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Clam Chowder
- Cowboy Soup
- Sausage Lentil Soup
- She-Crab Soup
- Southwest Chicken Soup
- Steak Soup
Check out more of my easy soup recipes and the best chicken recipes on CopyKat!
Chicken Bisque
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 stalks celery chopped
- 4 carrots chopped
- 3 tablespoons salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pimientos
- 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces in a large pot and add water to cover (about 3 quarts). Cook on low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the chicken is done and tender. Skim off any foam or fat that rises to the surface during the initial boiling.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool. (Reserve the chicken stock in the pot.) Once it’s cool enough to handle, shred the meat, discarding the skin and bones.
- To make a roux, melt the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 or 2 minutes.
- Bring 8 cups of the reserved chicken stock to a slow boil and gradually stir it into the roux. Simmer until the soup takes on a glaze, about 15 minutes.
- Add the shredded chicken, pimientos, green pepper, ground pepper, and heavy cream. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve in heated bowls.
Mulan
Loved this soup. I served it with homemade buttermilk biscuits.
Susan
Did anyone else find the bisque too thin?
Prudi Harrison
They used to give this recipe out to customers in the early 60’s on a printed card. At that time it did not have onions, or the peppers in it. Nor the pimentos.
Brad
This is such a quoinkidink. I have been telling my wife for years that I wanted to find a good chicken bisque for years. Today she sent me this link. What is so funny about this is I used to work here for over 2 years until it caught fire. Brian was the Chef along with some lady who I can’t remember her name. I was a prep cook/dishwasher. Did not return when it opened back up and this is the place where I had this bisque and have been craving it ever since. Now to find the receipt for the Toastada Salad they used to serve at the Old Ponchos restaurant on Sandy Blvd.
Prudi Harrison
Hi, Worked at Poncho’s at the East side, I think for about 8 years and then the West side…Can’t help you with the #9 but agree we need to find the recipe,
penny
Went to Poncho’s every Thursday or Friday night. The Toastada salad was the best! The Bacardi Cocktail on the rocks,was so good! Nobody but ponchos could make it!! Would love to find the recipe for the salad.
Betsy
Do you leave the carrots and onions in the stock?
Terry Withers
Hey Judy, do you have the recipe for the garlic croutons? I went to the Pantry often as a kid. My 80 year old dad loved the croutons in his soup and I want to make some for him.
B.j. Finkel's
We will be putting the chicken bisque on the menu during Blazer home games.
B.j. Finkel's
I was also a busboy at the Pantry restaurant in the late 70″s, this really takes me back.
Nikki Ourand Lambert
Only half a cup of chicken for 8-10 servings of soup? That can’t be right. Each person would get only one or two pieces of chicken in an entire bowl of soup.
Stephanie Manley
This soup did not come filled with lots of chicken. I totally understand your well intentioned point. You could add more chicken if you desire.
Judy DeVet
I lived down the street from The Pantry Restaurant in the 60’s and ate there frequently. I have their original recipe which they printed and gave out liberally along with the recipe for Cheese Spread and their FABULOUS Garlic Croutons.
Stephanie’s recipe is spot on all the ingredients and sizes EXCEPT the original uses 1/2 pound of butter to 1 cup of flour. They also add yellow food coloring at the end. This bisque was served with their famous Garlic Croutons and Cheese Bread. The Cheese Bread recipe is:
1 lb. margarine (I use butter), 1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, 1/4 lb. grated romano cheese, 1 tsp. Worcestershire, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder and 1/2 tsp. paprika. Bring to ROOM TEMPERATURE. Whip slowly on mixer until fluffy. Butter on sourdough French Bread and toast under broiler. ENJOY !!
Stephanie Manley
Thank you for your tips. It sounds like you really enjoyed the restaurant. I am happy to know that you enjoyed the recipe so much.
Dale Matthews
Stephanie,
As a 16 year old Busboy/dishwasher at The Pantry Restaurant in 1970, I helped make the Chicken Bisque and the Cheese bread. It looks good but I don’t remember the green peppers.
Liz Nelson
I don’t care much for Seafood Bisque but this chicken bisque was great! I will be making this again!