Recipes Dinner Poultry Dishes Chicken Main Course Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Croutons 4.9 (7) 6 Reviews Ina Garten includes all your favorite aromatic vegetables in this comforting soup, which sports a creamy broth, tender chicken, and flaky puff pastry croutons. By Ina Garten Ina Garten Ina Garten is the host of Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network and the author of 13 cookbooks. The popular TV show was inspired by Garten's specialty food store in the Hamptons, and she's become an influencer and expert on cooking and entertaining after 10 seasons on air. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 20, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 1 hr 10 mins Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Servings: 6 This creamy, soul-warming soup from legendary Food Network star Ina Garten's cookbook, Modern Comfort Food, captures everything there is to love about chicken pot pie. Plenty of aromatic vegetables; a rich, silky broth spiked with tarragon and cream sherry; and plenty of tender chicken (or leftover Thanksgiving turkey) deliver pure comfort in every spoonful. The flaky, buttery puff pastry croutons (made from store-bought dough!) are an irresistible finishing touch. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients All-purpose flour, for dusting 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, such as Pepperidge Farm, defrosted (see note) 1 extra-large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream, for egg wash Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 chicken breasts, skin-on, bone-in (2 1/2 to 3 pounds total) Good olive oil 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter 5 cups chopped leeks (about 3 leeks), white and light green parts (see note) 4 cups chopped fennel (about 2 bulbs), tops and cores removed 3 cups (1/2-inch) carrots, scrubbed and diced 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves 1/4 cup Wondra flour 3/4 cup cream sherry, divided 7 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade 1 (2- × 3-inch) piece of Italian Parmesan cheese rind 1 (10-ounce) box frozen peas 1 cup frozen whole pearl onions 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley Directions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Lightly dust a cutting board and rolling pin with all-purpose flour. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry on the board, dust it lightly with all-purpose flour, and lightly roll the pastry just to smooth out the folds. With a star-shaped or fluted round cookie cutters, cut 12 stars or rounds of pastry and place them on the prepared sheet pan. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Place the chicken on a sheet pan skin side up, rub the skin with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until a thermometer registers 130°F to 140°F. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the skin and bones and cut the chicken in 1-inch dice. Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium (11- to 12-inch) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the leeks, fennel, and carrots, and sauté over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and tarragon and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Sprinkle on the Wondra flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the sherry, the chicken stock, 4 teaspoons salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, and the Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil over medium-high, lower the heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. While the soup simmers, bake the puff pastry croutons for 8 to 10 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. After the soup has simmered for 20 minutes, add the chicken, peas, and onions. Return to a simmer over medium. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes more. Off the heat, remove the Parmesan rind and add the remaining 1/4 cup of sherry and the parsley. Serve hot in large shallow bowls with two puff pastry croutons on top of each bowl. Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas Make ahead The pastry cutouts can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. Bake just before serving. To prep the leeks, cut off the dark green leaves at a 45-degree angle and discard. Chop the white and light green parts, wash well in a bowl of water, and spin dry in a salad spinner. Wet leeks will steam rather than sauté. Note Defrost puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator. You want the pastry to be very cold when you bake it. Recipe courtesy of MODERN COMFORT FOOD: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Copyright © 2020 by Ina Garten. Photography by Quentin Bacon. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Rate It Print