All of the things you find inside of a chicken pot pie, but make it a soup that will make your whole house smell heavenly. An aromatic base of onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, garlic, and thyme give the soup a deeply savory flavor with a little help from our friend – soy sauce/tamari. We’re skipping the heavy cream and replacing it with an easy cashew cream that gives body to the broth (soak your cashews ahead or use my quick soaking method). Crackers on top are optional, but highly recommended!
P.S. If you have an instant pot, use it here! Instructions are below the recipe.
Ingredient Highlight
Cashews! These versatile nuts originate from Brazil and have become popular for using to replace dairy because of it’s super creamy texture when blended. Similar to other nuts, cashews are rich in healthy fats, fiber, minerals, and protein. They are especially high in copper, a mineral important for bone health, the immune system, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. They’ll also give you a good dose of fiber, zinc, and magnesium.
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 30 minutes Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 8 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced or chopped (about 2 heaping cups)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped, sliced, or smashed
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 4 cups water
- 1 lb potatoes, peeled, chopped small (about 3 cups)
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast*
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight or quick soaked)**
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Black pepper
- Crackers crumbled (optional)
- *If your chicken breast is massive, cut it in half lengthwise so it cooks quickly. See substitutions to make vegetarian.
- **Quick soak method: add cashews to a small pot and cover with water. Simmer for 10 minutes to soften. In a pinch, you can add cashews to a microwave safe bowl, fill with enough water to cover, and microwave for two minutes.
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil or butter. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring often. Stir in water, potatoes, chicken, and soy sauce. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then give it a stir (submerging everything in the liquid) and reduce the heat to low or medium-low to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes and chicken are cooked through (may vary depending on size of chicken). Remove the chicken and shred it up.
- Meanwhile, drain the cashews and add them to a high-speed blender along with ½ cup of tap water + ½ cup broth/liquid from the soup (it’s okay if chunks get in there). Blend until totally smooth (about 1 minute, scraping down sides as needed), then stir back into the pot along with the shredded chicken and peas.
- Serve topped with black pepper and crackers, if using.
Instant pot instructions:
- In a 6-quart Instant Pot, press the sauté button set to “normal” or “medium”. Follow the first part of the recipe. After you add the water, potatoes, chicken, etc…Lock the lid in place and set the vent to “sealing”. Select “manual pressure” (set to high) and set the timer for 12 minutes, then let it naturally release for 10 minutes before manually releasing. Remove the lid and then follow the rest of the recipe (shred chicken, stir in cashew cream, etc…)!
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Chop ½ yellow onion
- Peel and chop 2 carrots
- Chop 2 celery stalks
- Slice or chop 8 oz mushrooms (about 2 heaping cups)
- Chop, slice or smash 2-3 cloves garlic
- Chop 1 lb potatoes into small cubes
- Soak 1 cup raw cashews overnight (or quick soak)
- Make the soup!
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, skip the chicken and either cubed tofu or 2 (15 oz) cans of white beans.
- You can skip the cashew cream and instead use your fork or spoon to mash up some of the potatoes in the pot + stir in ½ cup heavy cream at the end. Or reduce the liquid to 3 cups and stir in a can of full fat coconut milk.
- To replace onion, you can skip it and add another carrot and celery stalk.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftovers on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through. Top with crackers, black pepper, and herbs if you have some.
Servings 4 People Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 8 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced or chopped (about 2 heaping cups)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped, sliced, or smashed
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 4 cups water
- 1 lb potatoes, peeled, chopped small (about 3 cups)
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast*
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight or quick soaked)**
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Black pepper
- Crackers crumbled (optional)
- *If your chicken breast is massive, cut it in half lengthwise so it cooks quickly. See substitutions to make vegetarian.
- **Quick soak method: add cashews to a small pot and cover with water. Simmer for 10 minutes to soften. In a pinch, you can add cashews to a microwave safe bowl, fill with enough water to cover, and microwave for two minutes.
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil or butter. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring often. Stir in water, potatoes, chicken, and soy sauce. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then give it a stir (submerging everything in the liquid) and reduce the heat to low or medium-low to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes and chicken are cooked through (may vary depending on size of chicken). Remove the chicken and shred it up.
- Meanwhile, drain the cashews and add them to a high-speed blender along with ½ cup of tap water + ½ cup broth/liquid from the soup (it’s okay if chunks get in there). Blend until totally smooth (about 1 minute, scraping down sides as needed), then stir back into the pot along with the shredded chicken and peas.
- Serve topped with black pepper and crackers, if using.
Instant pot instructions:
- In a 6-quart Instant Pot, press the sauté button set to “normal” or “medium”. Follow the first part of the recipe. After you add the water, potatoes, chicken, etc…Lock the lid in place and set the vent to “sealing”. Select “manual pressure” (set to high) and set the timer for 12 minutes, then let it naturally release for 10 minutes before manually releasing. Remove the lid and then follow the rest of the recipe (shred chicken, stir in cashew cream, etc…)!
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Chop ½ yellow onion
- Peel and chop 2 carrots
- Chop 2 celery stalks
- Slice or chop 8 oz mushrooms (about 2 heaping cups)
- Chop, slice or smash 2-3 cloves garlic
- Chop 1 lb potatoes into small cubes
- Soak 1 cup raw cashews overnight (or quick soak)
- Make the soup!
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, skip the chicken and either cubed tofu or 2 (15 oz) cans of white beans.
- You can skip the cashew cream and instead use your fork or spoon to mash up some of the potatoes in the pot + stir in ½ cup heavy cream at the end. Or reduce the liquid to 3 cups and stir in a can of full fat coconut milk.
- To replace onion, you can skip it and add another carrot and celery stalk.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftovers on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through. Top with crackers, black pepper, and herbs if you have some.
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