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30-Minute Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Soup

A lighter creamy chicken soup: deeply browned mushrooms, tender chicken pieces, and evaporated milk instead of heavy cream — one pot, 30 minutes, about 32g protein per serving (estimated).
Print Recipe
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper divided
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 12 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk (2% or whole)
  • 3 oz baby spinach (about 3 packed cups) optional
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley plus more for serving
  • Crusty bread for serving

Equipment

  • Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (5-quart or larger)
  • Wooden spoon or spatula

Method
 

  1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms in a single layer (work in two batches if needed — crowding steams them) and cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes, then stir and cook 2–3 minutes more until deeply golden. Remove to a plate.
  2. In the same pot, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add the onion with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
  3. Season the chicken pieces with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Add to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden on the outside, about 5 minutes — it doesn't need to be cooked through yet.
  4. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken and stir for 1 minute, coating everything. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot (that's flavor). Return the mushrooms to the pot. Bring to a lively simmer and cook 5–7 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the broth has thickened slightly.
  5. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the evaporated milk and the spinach, if using. Simmer gently 2–3 minutes, until the spinach wilts and the soup is steaming — do not boil hard, or the milk can curdle.
  6. Stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, shower with extra parsley, and serve with crusty bread for dunking.

Notes

Food safety: Chicken pieces to 165°F — check the largest piece with an instant-read thermometer. Browning the mushrooms first is the deep-flavor enabler. Evaporated milk replaces heavy cream; do not boil after adding it. Leftovers 4 days refrigerated / 3 months frozen. Protein ~32g/serving estimated from USDA FoodData Central; not lab-tested.