Buffalo Blue Cheese Chicken Soup

All the spicy/creamy flavors of buffalo chicken wings with dipping sauce, but in soup form!

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword blue cheese, buffalo chicken soup

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 424kcal

Author Karen Gibson

Ingredients

for the soup

1 tablespoon butter
olive oil
1/2 red onion diced
1 cup diced celery about 2 ribs
1/2 cup diced carrot 1 medium
2 teaspoons flour
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 cups chicken broth
1 blue cheese bechamel recipe below
1 rotisserie chicken skin removed, meat shredded
1/2 cup wing sauce
kosher salt

for the blue cheese bechamel

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup half and half
1 tablespoon ranch seasoning*
4 ounces soft gorgonzola (such as Cambozola Black)
2 ounces grated Fontina cheese

optional toppings

sliced green onions
minced cilantro
sour cream
blue cheese crumbles

Instructions

Start the soup

Heat the butter and oil in a 4 to 5 quart Dutch oven over medium heat until melted. Add the onions, celery, and carrots, and saute until soft (about 8 minutes). Sprinkle the flour and smoke paprika over the vegetables and stir to coat.
Tip in the chicken broth, and increase heat to medium-high. When soup begins to gently bubble, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer while you make the mornay.

Make the blue cheese bechamel

Melt the butter in a 2 quart pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour to create a paste (roux). Begin adding the half and half in small amounts, stirring or whisking it into the roux. When the first pour smooths out, add more and continue whisking. When you've added all of the half and half, continue heating until it begins to thicken (this could take several minutes - be patient!).
Meanwhile, reduce heat on the soup to low.
Sprinkle the ranch seasoning over the thickened bechamel and whisk until combined. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Finish the soup

Pour the blue cheese bechamel into the soup and stir well to combine. Add the wing sauce and shredded chicken, and let warm through for 5 minutes. Taste, and season with salt, if necessary.
Serve with toppings.

Notes

* You can use packaged ranch seasoning, or make your own! Here's my recipe:

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon buttermilk powder

2 teaspoons dried chives

2 teaspoons dried dill

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix all of the seasonings together in a small bowl.

For finer results, use a spice grinder: First, pulse the chives by themselves a few times, to break them down a bit (if the pieces are large, which they often are). Then add the other green herbs and salt, and pulse a few times more. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse once or twice, just to mix.

This blend will store at room temperature in an airtight jar. So tasty sprinkled over salads, sandwiches, even mac & cheese. If you plan to use the leftovers for ranch dip, add another tablespoon of the buttermilk powder to the remaining seasonings before blending with the dairy.

Nutrition

Calories: 424kcal