4ouncescream cheese cut into small cubes, softened
4cupslow sodium chicken broth
1cupheavy whipping cream
⅛teaspoonnutmegoptional
salt and pepperto taste
½teaspoonxanthan gum
3cupsshredded chickenpre-cooked
Instructions
In a large pot, saute onion and garlic in butter until softened. Add thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
Stir in cream cheese until it starts to soften and melt.
Pour in broth and whipping cream. Whisk until smooth. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the soup is heated through and slightly thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg (if desired).
In a small bowl, combine the xanthan gum with ½ cup of the soup. Whisk the mixture until it thickens and there are no lumps remaining. Then, stir this mixture into the pot of soup.
Add shredded chicken to the pot and mix it in. Allow the soup to simmer on low heat until the chicken is heated through.
Notes
Use rotisserie chicken to save time, with or without skin.
Any pre-cooked leftover chicken or frozen chicken strips cut into pieces also works.
For a non-dairy version, omit the heavy whipping cream and cream cheese and replace with 1 cup of almond or a can of full-fat coconut milk. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of almond flour into either milk before adding to the soup to make it a bit more creamy. Switch out the butter for olive oil or bacon grease.