Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe

Sprinkle the four chicken thighs with salt and freshly ground pepper over and under the skin. Heat the oil in a medium pan with deep sides over medium high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the thighs skin side down.

Cook at medium high for about 5 minutes, until the skin has a nice golden brown color. Reduce the heat to medium. Let the chicken cook for another 15 minutes untouched. If the skin seems like it’s starting to burn, turn down the heat a little more. Flip and cook on the other side for about 5 minutes.

When done, the skin should be crisp and golden and the chicken should have rendered about ¼ cup of fat.

Meanwhile, bring 3 cups of water, bay leaf and good pinch of salt to a boil in medium sauce pan over medium high heat.

Once the fat has rendered from the chicken thighs, remove the pan from heat and transfer the thighs to the pot of boiling water. If the chicken isn’t completely covered with water, add more so it is. Leave the pot uncovered.

Reduce heat under the pan of water so it comes down to a gentle simmer. Cook the chicken for 9 to 11  minutes, or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Skim any foam from the top of the water.

Remove the chicken from the pot of water. Put on plate and set aside to cool. Strain stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup. There should be somewhere between 2 to 4 cups of chicken stock. Measure out 2¼ cups of the stock and set aside.

Return the pan with the rendered chicken fat to medium heat. While whisking constantly, sprinkle flour a little at a time over the fat until all the flour is mixed in and a white paste is formed.

Keep whisking continuously for about 5 minutes until the roux turns a golden color. Add the chopped onion and the minced garlic. Keep whisking for about 5 more minutes until the onions are cooked through.

While whisking continuously, slowly pour the 2¼ cups of stock into the pan with the roux. Keep whisking and slowly adding the stock.

Once all the stock is added, increase the heat to medium high and whisk for about 8 minutes until the liquid is noticeably thicker than syrup, but thinner than ketchup.

Reduce the heat to medium. Keep an eye on the soup while shredding the chicken so that it stays warm but doesn’t boil. Whisk the soup occasionally.

Pull the meat off two of the chicken thighs, and chop it finely. Save the remaining two chicken thighs for another meal.

Slowly whisk in the heavy cream. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed, to taste.