Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Pie Crust Crackers

This easy, creamy soup is the perfect solution when you’re craving Chicken Pot Pie flavors! Loaded with hearty chunks of chicken, and colorful vegetables, this soup is always welcomed at our dinner table. Plus, the pie crust crackers are a fun variation borrowed from a classic pot pie crust; you’ll find them totally crispy, buttery, and addicting! Serves 6-8.

Pie Crust Crackers
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons shortening
4 tablespoons butter
3-4 tablespoons ice water
1 egg
1 tablespoon cream
Kosher salt and black pepper

Chicken Pot Pie Soup
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons flour
5 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1. Prepare the pie crust crackers. In a small food processor combine the flour with the shortening and butter. Pulse until pea-sized pieces are formed. Slowly sprinkle in the cold water and continue pulsing until a dough ball is formed. Form the dough into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 - 60 minutes while preparing the soup.
2. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, sauté the onion, celery, and carrots in the butter and olive oil until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic, and cook for another two minutes. Season with Kosher salt, pepper, and thyme.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until coated. Add the chicken broth and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and diced potatoes and boil until the chicken breasts are cooked through and the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
4. While the soup is simmering, bake the pie crust crackers. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll the pie dough out onto a lightly floured surface until it is 1/4" thick. Cut cracker shapes with a cookie cutter or with a knife into squares. Make an egg wash by whisking one egg with one tablespoon of cream. Brush the crackers with the wash, then sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Bake the crackers until golden brown and crispy - about 10-12 minutes. Then, let crackers cool before using as a soup garnish.
5. Back to the soup, remove the chicken breasts from the soup and dice. Return the diced chicken back to the soup pot. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the heavy cream. Add the peas, and simmer until desired thickness is reached. Taste the soup and season with additional Kosher salt and pepper, as needed. Garnish each soup bowl with fresh parsley, and the pie crust crackers.