Creamy Chicken Curry Soup

This past fall I had this Creamy Chicken Curry Soup at a friend’s house. I immediately got the recipe from her because it was SO. GOOD. Apparently this recipe is a copycat recipe from a restaurant that is now closed in Salt Lake City called Big City Soup. I’m not sure this is a copycat because I’ve never eaten at Big City Soup, but what I do know is that it is completely DE-LICIOUS!

My Curry Powder Story

When my hubby and I were newlyweds we took an ah-mazing trip to India. Pictures you say? OK, I’ll show you a few of my favorites. 🙂

OUR TRIP WAS INCREDIBLE, we saw so many historic sites; and being a former history teacher I was beyond stoked. The food was divine (no, we didn’t get “Delhi Belly”). We had authentic Indian dishes like Kofta Curry, Tandoori Chicken, Kebabs, Butter Chicken, Masala Daal, Cauliflower Fritters, and Naan. OH, the Naan! We loved everything we were eating, so much that we made it a point to stop at a spice market to pick up some authentic curry powder to bring back home with us.

A FEW DAYS AFTER GETTING BACK I set out to recreate a curry dish we had in India, but decided to make it in the crock pot so it would cook while we were at church. This was my first time cooking with curry powder and I was a little heavy-handed when adding it to the pot. I ended up sprinkling in upwards of 1/4 cup of curry powder when 1-2 Tablespoons would have done.

WHEN WE GOT HOME FROM CHURCH (we lived in a highrise, at the end of a long hallway), we could smell the curry as soon as we got off of the elevator. I thought to myself: “WOW, this is going to be good!”. I was still very much naive to the fact that I used way too much curry powder!

WE HURRIED THROUGH THE DOOR, quickly made rice, poured the curry over the top, and dug in. Within seconds my hubby and I spat it out. The food was inedible, curry powder wasted. 🙁

TO THIS DAY when I tell my hubby that we’re having curry for dinner I see him shudder for a brief moment. BUT it’s recipes like this one for Creamy Chicken Curry Soup that are starting to win back his confidence in my curry-making skills. The End.

Cook’s Note – Creamy Chicken Curry Soup:

*This recipe makes a TON! I’m talking 6 quarts of soup…that’s 24 cups! This recipe will feed 12 people, so invite some friends over for a soup party!

*You can freeze this soup by placing it in freezer-safe gallon bags or Tupperware. Thaw the soup in the refrigerator overnight and then heat SLOWLY on medium heat. You don’t want to heat this soup too quickly, because you will break the cream.

*This recipe isn’t for the faint of heart, it has a lot of calorie-packing ingredients like cream, butter, and milk.

*This recipe calls for Madras curry powder which is a little hard to find. While my local grocery store didn’t carry it, World Market did!

Creamy Chicken Curry Soup #SouperJanuary

Creamy Chicken Curry Soup - a Big City Soup in Salt Lake City Copycat Recipe. This recipe makes a TON so grab some friends, and grab a bowl! #Copycat #SouperJanuary

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American, Indian

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 6 quarts

Author: Adapted from The Salt Lake Trubune

Ingredients

• For the Roux:
• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• For the Soup:
• 1/3 cup Madras curry powder
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 stalk celery chopped
• 1 large white onions chopped (bout 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 3 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 6 cups low-fat milk
• 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded chicken I used rotisserie chicken
• For Garnish:
• green onions chopped
• sliced almonds lightly toasted

Instructions

• For the Roux:
• In a large sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until the roux is the color of peanut butter, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• For the Soup:
• In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, toast the curry powder until fragrant and begins to brown; about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• In a large pot (at least 7 quarts) over medium heat add the olive oil and cook celery, onion and garlic until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, milk, thyme leaves, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a low boil. Slowly add the roux, and stir to combine. Add the curry powder, and stir until blended. Add the heavy cream and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaves, and add the chicken. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with green onions and almonds.

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Hungry for more soup recipes?

Check out other recipes in my #SouperJanuary blog series!

Restaurant-Style Black Bean Soup

Sausage & Butter Bean Soup

Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup Copycat Recipe

Olive Garden Chicken & Gnocchi Soup

Easy Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Creamy Vegetable Soup

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