Cordon Bleu Soup puts the flavors of chicken cordon bleu into one pot: cooked chicken, diced ham and Swiss cheese in a creamy, cheesy broth. It starts with butter, onion, garlic and a little flour, then broth, half-and-half, cream cheese and Swiss. Rotisserie chicken and ham go in last, so the whole pot is ready in about 20 minutes and serves 8.
How to make it: Soften the onion in butter, add garlic and flour, then slowly whisk in the liquids. Stir in the cream cheese, then the Swiss until melted. Add the chicken and ham and heat until the soup reaches 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- 20 minutes: 10 minutes of prep and 10 at the stove.
- No raw meat: cooked chicken and ham only need to heat through.
- Uses leftovers: rotisserie chicken and leftover holiday ham both work.
- One pot: the sauce, cheese and meat all come together in the same pan.
What Is Cordon Bleu Soup?
It’s a creamy soup with the three things that make chicken cordon bleu: chicken, ham and Swiss cheese. Here the ham and cheese aren’t rolled into chicken. Instead, everything is stirred into a cheesy broth thickened with a butter-and-flour base and cream cheese. Croutons on top bring back a little crunch.
Ingredient Notes
Butter, onion and garlic: 1/4 cup butter, half a white onion, diced, and 1 minced garlic clove.
Flour: 1/4 cup, cooked for a minute in the butter to thicken the soup.
Liquids: 3 cups chicken broth and 2 cups half-and-half.
Cream cheese: one 8-ounce package, softened, so it stirs in smoothly.
Swiss cheese: 1 1/4 cups shredded, plus more for the top if you like.
Chicken and ham: 2 cups rotisserie chicken and 1 cup diced ham. Any cooked chicken cut into bite-size pieces works, and so does leftover ham.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 8 ounces cream cheese (1 package, softened)
- 1 1/4 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup ham, diced
How to Make Cordon Bleu Soup
1. Cook the onion. In a large pot, melt the butter over low heat, add the diced onion and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and flour. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the flour and cook for 1 minute.
3. Whisk in the liquids. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and half-and-half.
4. Melt in the cheeses. Add the cream cheese and stir until combined, then stir in the Swiss cheese until melted.
5. Add the chicken and ham. Stir in the chicken and ham until heated through and the soup reaches 165°F on a food thermometer, then serve.
Tips for a Smooth, Creamy Soup
- Keep the heat low. Melt the butter and soften the onion over low heat.
- Cook the flour a minute. Stir it into the butter and onion before any liquid goes in.
- Whisk slowly. Pour the liquids in a little at a time while you whisk.
- Soften the cream cheese. Let it sit out first, and stir it in before the Swiss.
- Add the meat last. Chicken and ham only need to warm up. The soup is ready when it reaches 165°F.
Toppings and Variations
- Croutons and Swiss: top each bowl with homemade or store-bought croutons and a little more shredded Swiss.
- Dijon mustard: stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons with the liquids for a mustard note, or use stone ground mustard with chopped parsley.
- More meat: for a meatier pot, use up to 4 cups cooked chicken and an 8-ounce package of cubed ham.
- Vegetables: cook 2 diced carrots and 2 ribs of diced celery with the onion for about 10 minutes, or stir in chopped baby spinach.
- Richer: use heavy cream, or whole milk and heavy cream, in place of the half-and-half.
Other Ways to Get These Flavors
If you’d rather bake it, our chicken cordon bleu casserole turns the same flavors into a pasta bake with a crunchy panko top. For a hands-off dinner, try 5-ingredient slow cooker chicken cordon bleu.
Want a slow cooker soup instead? Cook raw chicken thighs with the broth, onion and garlic until the chicken reaches 165°F, shred it, add the ham and stir in the dairy at the end. Always thaw chicken before it goes into a slow cooker.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour if it’s above 90°F). Divide a big pot into smaller, shallow covered containers so it cools quickly. It keeps 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: The soup stays safe frozen for 3 to 4 months, but cream sauces don’t freeze well: the cream can separate and look curdled after thawing. Thaw in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat covered on the stove until the soup comes to a rolling boil, or to 165°F. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
A creamy soup wants bread for dipping. Serve it with warm butter biscuits or homemade cheesy garlic breadsticks.
More creamy soups: ham and potato corn chowder and crack chicken soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cordon bleu soup?
A creamy, cheesy soup with chicken, ham and Swiss cheese, the flavors of chicken cordon bleu in one pot.
Can I use rotisserie chicken and leftover ham?
Yes. Rotisserie chicken is what the card uses, and leftover holiday ham works for the ham.
What thickens the soup?
A little flour cooked in butter, plus the cream cheese and Swiss.
What goes on top?
Croutons and more shredded Swiss cheese.
Can I add mustard?
Yes. A spoonful or two of Dijon or stone ground mustard adds a tangy note.
Can you freeze cordon bleu soup?
It’s safe frozen for 3 to 4 months, but cream soups can separate after thawing, so the texture may change.
How long do leftovers keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat to a rolling boil or 165°F.
Final Notes
Keep the heat low, melt the cheeses in one at a time and add the chicken and ham at the end. If you try it with Dijon or extra vegetables, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Cordon Bleu Soup
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 white onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 8 ounces cream cheese 1 package, softened
- 1 1/4 cups Swiss cheese shredded
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup ham diced
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt the butter over low heat, add the diced onion and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and half-and-half.
- Add the cream cheese and stir until combined, then stir in the Swiss cheese until melted.
- Stir in the chicken and ham until heated through and the soup reaches 165°F on a food thermometer, then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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