Name: Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup
Total time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1½ lb.); 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more; 4 Tbsp. plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 10 oz. mixed mushrooms (such as maitake, shiitake, or button), trimmed if needed, torn into bite-size pieces; 3 large shallots, finely chopped; 7 garlic cloves, 5 thinly sliced, 2 finely grated; 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour; 1½ tsp. dried thyme or 1 Tbsp. chopped thyme; 1 cup dry white wine; Freshly ground pepper; 3 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley; 1 cup heavy cream; 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce; Country-style bread (for serving; optional)

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup in a green bowl with a spoon moving through it

Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kendra Vaculin, prop styling by Emma Ringness

No stock required! The cozy, rich-but-not-heavy soup skips the boxed stuff, instead favoring a method where you make your own quick broth by poaching chicken breasts in an aromatics-loaded pot of water. The resulting liquid makes the ideal base for mushrooms, shredded chicken (it does double duty!) and heavy cream. Don’t skip the garlic-parsley oil drizzle at the end—it’s what made some members of the test kitchen call this a restaurant-worthy dish.