Ranch Chicken Veggie Soup (Printable Version)

Creamy soup with ranch chicken, vegetables, and herbs

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ Vegetables

05 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
06 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
07 - 2 celery stalks, diced
08 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
09 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
10 - 2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
11 - 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
12 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Broth & Dairy

13 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
14 - 1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
15 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
16 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend

→ Seasonings & Herbs

17 - 2 tablespoons dry ranch seasoning mix
18 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
19 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
20 - ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
21 - Fresh chives for garnish, optional

# Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, add to the pot, and sear for 3-4 minutes per side until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, add butter. Once melted, add onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
03 - Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir for 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw taste.
04 - Gradually pour in chicken broth, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add potatoes, corn, ranch seasoning, thyme, and smoked paprika. Return chicken breasts to the pot.
05 - Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 18-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
06 - Remove chicken breasts, shred with two forks, then return shredded chicken to the soup. Stir in half-and-half or milk and spinach. Simmer for 3-5 more minutes until spinach is wilted and soup is creamy.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with parsley and fresh chives.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's creamy and hearty without feeling heavy, like a warm hug that actually nourishes you.
  • The ranch seasoning does the heavy lifting so you skip the guesswork and just enjoy the flavor.
  • You can have it on the table in under an hour, which means weeknight dinners suddenly feel less like a chore.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roux step because those two minutes of cooking the flour really do make a difference in the soup's texture and prevent it from tasting floury.
  • If your soup breaks or looks separated when you add the half-and-half, it means your heat was too high, so next time add it more slowly and over lower heat.
  • Taste before you serve because that one extra pinch of salt can transform a good soup into one people ask about for months.
03 -
  • Make your own ranch seasoning so you know exactly what's going into your soup and can skip any ingredients you don't like or can't have.
  • Don't let the soup sit without stirring occasionally while it simmers because the bottom can stick, and those browned bits are actually flavor gold you want to keep in the mix.
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