Buffalo sauce gives this chicken soup its heat and vinegar bite, but I don’t pour it into the pot with the first ingredients. I wait until the broth and milk reach a slow boil.
Butter and vegetables start the soup, followed by flour and herbs. Seven cups of chicken broth and two cups of whole milk go in next. Only after that mixture heats up do I add the Buffalo sauce and shredded chicken.
Vegetables Cook in Butter First
Melt ¼ cup butter in a large stockpot over medium heat, then add one cup of onion, celery, and pepper.
I use a frozen vegetable mix here, which cuts out the chopping. Fresh onion, celery, and pepper can take its place.
Cook until the vegetables soften and the butter has melted.
Flour Goes in Before the Broth
Whisk ¼ cup flour into the softened vegetables before adding any liquid.
Fresh thyme and oregano go in at the same stage, along with salt and pepper.
The flour gets mixed through the butter and vegetables first rather than being stirred into seven cups of broth later.
Whole Milk Goes in With the Chicken Broth
Slowly whisk seven cups of chicken broth and two cups of whole milk into the pot.
I use whole milk rather than heavy cream. It gives the soup a creamy base without replacing most of the broth with dairy.
Keep heating the mixture until it reaches a slow boil.
The Buffalo sauce still hasn’t gone in.
Buffalo Sauce Goes in Once the Soup Starts to Boil
Now add ½ cup Buffalo wing sauce and two cups shredded chicken.
The heat level can change without changing the rest of the soup. I use mild Buffalo sauce, but a hotter version can go in if you want more heat.
Rotisserie chicken works here, so there’s no need to cook a separate batch of chicken before starting the soup.
Give the Soup Another 20 Minutes
After adding the Buffalo sauce and chicken, reduce the heat.
Let the soup cook for another 20 minutes, or until it thickens some. The flour added near the beginning helps give the broth and milk more body as the soup cooks.
There’s no need to add more Buffalo sauce during this stage unless you want to adjust the heat.
Blue Cheese Waits Until the Bowl
Blue cheese is part of the Buffalo wing combination, but I don’t melt it into the soup.
Ladle the finished soup into bowls first, then scatter blue cheese crumbles over each serving.
Buffalo sauce may be the ingredient that gives this soup its identity, but it doesn’t need to lead the recipe. I build the base first, bring the broth and milk to a slow boil, then add the sauce and chicken for the final 20 minutes.
Do you add Buffalo sauce at the beginning of soup, or wait until the base is hot?
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