Ranch Chicken Veggie Soup (Printable Version)

Creamy vegetable chowder with tender ranch-seasoned chicken and fresh herbs. Hearty comfort in a bowl.

# The Ingredients You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lbs)
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

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven 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.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour, which means you can go from craving soup to actually eating it without hours of planning.
  • The ranch seasoning does the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so you're not juggling a dozen different spices or worrying you'll mess it up.
  • Creamy without being heavy, thanks to the half-and-half mixed into a broth base that feels like a warm hug in a bowl.
02 -
  • Don't skip the searing step with the chicken, even though it's tempting to just throw it in the broth raw—those browned bits add flavor you can't get any other way.
  • Always go low-sodium with the broth because ranch seasoning already contains quite a bit of salt, and you want to be the one controlling how salty the final soup is.
  • Add the spinach at the very end instead of cooking it longer, or it'll turn into an unappetizing dark mass that loses its nutritional benefit.
03 -
  • If you prefer an even richer soup, swap the half-and-half for heavy cream, though honestly the half-and-half hits that sweet spot between creamy and not-too-heavy.
  • Don't stir constantly once the soup is simmering—let it do its thing with just the occasional gentle stir so the vegetables keep their shape and don't break down into mush.
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