Chicken Tarragon Soup is creamy, comforting, and full of fresh herb flavor. Tender chicken, vegetables, and tarragon simmer together in a rich broth for a cozy homemade soup that feels a little special without being complicated.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Tarragon Soup
This is the kind of soup that feels familiar and comforting but has a little more personality than traditional chicken soup.
- Rich but not heavy. Cream gives the broth body without making the soup overly thick.
- Fresh tarragon adds distinctive flavor. Its slightly sweet, herbaceous flavor pairs especially well with chicken.
- Bone-in chicken builds better broth. The chicken cooks right in the soup, adding extra flavor as it simmers.
- Made with simple ingredients. Most of the recipe is made from everyday vegetables, chicken, broth, herbs, and cream.
- Great for cooler weather. It’s cozy enough for fall and winter but not so heavy that you can’t enjoy it year-round.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients are simple, but a few play an especially important role in giving this soup its distinctive flavor.
- Bone-in chicken: Adds flavor to the broth as it cooks. Remove the chicken once tender, pull the meat from the bones, and return it to the soup.
- Tarragon: The signature herb here. Fresh tarragon gives the soup its brightest flavor, although dried can be used when fresh isn’t available.
- Heavy cream: Adds richness and softens the flavors without turning this into an overly thick cream soup.
Why Tarragon Works So Well with Chicken
Tarragon has a delicate herbal flavor with subtle notes of anise. It pairs especially well with chicken and creamy sauces, adding flavor without overpowering the other ingredients.
Fresh Tarragon vs. Dried Tarragon
Fresh tarragon gives this soup the best flavor, but dried tarragon can work well when fresh isn’t available.
How to Make Chicken Tarragon Soup
This creamy chicken soup comes together easily on the stovetop, with the chicken simmering right in the broth for plenty of flavor.
- Prep the vegetables. Chop the onion, garlic, leek, and celery, making sure to rinse the sliced leek well.
- Sauté the aromatics. Cook the onion, garlic, and leek in olive oil until they begin to soften.
- Build the soup. Add the celery, bone-in chicken, white wine, tarragon, and chicken broth, then simmer until the chicken is tender.
- Make it creamy. Stir in the heavy cream and lemon juice, then simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Blend the soup. Remove the chicken, then use an immersion blender to blend the broth and vegetables until smooth and creamy.
- Finish the soup. Pull the chicken from the bones and shred or chop the meat. Stir the cream and lemon juice into the soup, return the chicken to the pot, and season to taste.
- Prefer another cooking method? The printable recipe below also includes instructions for making Chicken Tarragon Soup in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
Tips for the Best Chicken Tarragon Soup
A few simple tips will help you get the best flavor and texture from your Chicken Tarragon Soup.
- Use bone-in chicken rather than boneless for the most flavorful broth.
- Add the cream at the end. Stir in the heavy cream after blending and heat gently just until the soup is warmed through.
- Add or adjust the tarragon toward the end if you want a more pronounced fresh-herb flavor.
- Taste before serving and adjust salt after the chicken and broth have cooked together.
- Blending is optional. Blend for a smooth, creamy texture, or leave the vegetables as-is for a more rustic soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does tarragon taste like in chicken soup?
Tarragon has a fresh, slightly sweet flavor with subtle notes of anise. In chicken soup, it adds a distinctive herbal flavor that pairs especially well with the creamy broth, white wine, and lemon.
Can I use dried tarragon instead of fresh tarragon?
Yes. This recipe works with either fresh or dried tarragon. Use 2 ½ teaspoons dried tarragon or 3 tablespoons fresh tarragon. Fresh tarragon will have a brighter, more delicate flavor, while dried tarragon is a convenient option that works very well in the soup.
Is tarragon good in chicken soup?
Yes! Tarragon is especially good with chicken because its slightly sweet, herbaceous flavor complements the mild flavor of the meat. It also pairs beautifully with creamy sauces and broths, which makes it a natural fit for this soup.
Can I make Chicken Tarragon Soup ahead of time?
Yes. Chicken Tarragon Soup can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it. Reheat it gently on the stovetop, stirring occasionally, and avoid bringing the cream-based soup to a hard boil.
Chicken Tarragon Soup is a cozy change from traditional chicken soup, with fresh tarragon, white wine, lemon, and cream giving the broth its distinctive flavor. Serve it with warm crusty bread for an easy, comforting dinner that feels just a little special.
Chicken Tarragon Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 leek sliced and thoroughly rinsed
- 2 stalks celery sliced thin
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 ½ cups dry white wine
- 2 ½ tsp dried tarragon or 3 tablespoons fresh
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and leek and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the chicken and broth. Add the celery, chicken, white wine, tarragon, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally and turning the chicken once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 30 minutes.
- Blend the soup. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth and creamy.
- Shred the chicken. Discard the bones and skin and shred or chop the chicken.
- Finish the soup. Stir in the heavy cream and lemon juice, then return the chicken to the pot. If using fresh tarragon, stir it in now. Heat gently until warmed through.
- Season and serve. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve warm.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Sauté the vegetables. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Heat the olive oil, then add the onion, garlic, leek, and celery. Cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened.
- Deglaze the pot. Add the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Pressure cook. Add the chicken, broth, and dried tarragon. Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes. Allow a 10-minute natural release, then quick-release any remaining pressure.
- Blend the soup. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and set aside. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth and creamy.
- Shred the chicken. Discard the bones and skin and shred or chop the chicken.
- Finish the soup. Stir the heavy cream and lemon juice into the soup, then return the chicken to the Instant Pot. If using fresh tarragon, stir it in now. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and leek and cook for 3–4 minutes, until softened. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the celery, chicken, white wine, chicken broth, and dried tarragon. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Cook. Cover and cook on Low for 7–8 hours or High for 4–5 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Blend the soup. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and set aside. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth and creamy.
- Shred the chicken. Discard the bones and skin and shred or chop the chicken.
- Finish the soup. Stir in the heavy cream and lemon juice, then return the chicken to the slow cooker. If using fresh tarragon, stir it in now. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes longer, until everything is warmed through.
- Season and serve. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper before serving.
Notes
- Fresh tarragon: Use 3 tablespoons fresh tarragon in place of the dried. For the freshest flavor, add it toward the end of cooking.
- For more broth: Increase the chicken broth to 4 cups, white wine to 1 ¾ cups, tarragon to 3 teaspoons, and heavy cream to 1 ¼ cups.
- Chicken: Bone-in chicken thighs give the soup tender meat and add flavor to the broth. Bone-in chicken breasts may also be used, but cooking time may vary depending on their size.
- For a rustic soup: Blending the broth is optional. Skip the immersion blender and leave the vegetables as-is for a chunkier, more rustic texture.
This was really good! I made it for my husband because he had a cold and served it with honey cornbread. VERY Yummy. Thanks for sharing!
The addition of tarragon was BRILLIANT!! I’ve been making chicken soup for over 20 years and was really hesitant to add it. I just wasn’t so sure. Well, the combination of both was INCREDIBLE to say the least!
So, Sally, you mentioned twice about adapting your soup to an Instant Pot, do you have any advice on how to actually make it in the IP? I figured out the steps until I came to how long to cook under pressure. Manual High? Soup tab option? This recipe I’m drooling over and would love to make it in the IP. I discovered tarragon a couple of years ago and the flavor is incredible and unique. I put dried tarragon on everything that’s cooked such as scrambled eggs, egg noodles, every type of sauce, potatoes, you get the picture. Not to mention how thrilled I am to find a tarragon soup recipe. Thank you so much for your advice and this recipe.
First let me say I am a soup lover and a bit of a soup snob! I love making soup and always use my own home-made stock…always! This recipe is absolutely amazing! It’s easy to make ( since I always use homemade stock I just use shredded chicken, usually a rotisserie which is a huge time saver). I have made this for several friends and family members and they are all as obsessed with it as I am!!! Absolutely fabulous!!
Thanks so much, Lauri! This absolutely made my day. I’m glad you like this soup, especially since it sounds like you’re quite a connoisseur. I really appreciate you taking the time to send this wonderful review, it means a lot. And since you really know your soup, may I recommend my Corn Chowder with Summer Squash Soup as another good one to try. Thanks again!
I made this tonight but since we didn’t have bread, I added diced potatoes and corn niblets to make it a sort of chicken tarragon chowder. So delicious! Thank you!
Glad you liked it Amy, I like the idea of the chicken chowder type additives!
Tarragon is such and underrated herb!
I agree Mary! 🙂
Delicious~! Received your email in the morning and after a long day at work quickly made this for dinner. I was concerned it would not have enough time to take on the tarragon flavor in the short cook time allowed but it was just perfect. Thank you for a new favorite quick meal~!
Wow, thank you Agamom! This made my weekend. I’m so glad you liked it. ❤️
Yum! This looks delicious. Mum has made Chicken Tarragon over the years and this has taken me back to those memories. Next time it is cold, I am going to warm up with a bowl of this!!
That’s awesome, Adrianne! Thanks for stopping by.
Chicken and tarragon are a match made in heaven! But I have never thought to make them into a soup. Thanks for the inspiration!
I agree with that, Thanh! Thanks for stopping by.
The soup indeed looks hearty and delicious. A comfort food for upcoming cold days.
Thanks Deepika! I’m so excited for comfort food.
Lovely recipe. Tarragon is such a great compliment to chicken.
This is one of my husbands favourite soups, but I hardly ever make it. Thanks for the reminder – yours looks amazing.
That’s awesome, Danielle! Thanks for taking the time to stop by with the nice compliment. 🙂
This soup looks so good now that the cooler weather is here! Question: I never have wine in the house, so I’m wondering if something else can be substituted for it… like more broth or white grape juice. I can go get a bottle of wine, but I already have everything else to make this. Thanks for the great recipes!
Hi Cindi! You could leave out the wine and increase the broth accordingly. I would also add about a tablespoon of vinegar, either white distilled or apple cider vinegar. Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to let me know what you think of the soup! It’s a huge hit at my house. 🙂
I didn’t have wine. I added cognac. Delish! I also use my own bone broth. Make ahead and freeze.
Hi Kent, Whoa, I’ll bet it’s fabulous with cognac AND homemade broth, nothing better! Thanks for taking the time to comment.