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Creamy Pierogi Chicken Soup with Rosemary Bacon Bits. The perfect cozy bowl for cold fall and winter nights. A mix of vegetables and chicken slowly simmered in broth, then finished with cream, potato pierogi, and a handful of cheddar cheese. Top off each wonderful bowl of steamy soup with crispy rosemary bacon for a salty crunch with every spoonful. This pierogi soup recipe is so delicious and made all in one pot. Great for just about any night of the week!
Any long-time readers know about my love of a good cheddar pierogi. Growing up in Cleveland, pierogi was a staple. Not only were they on the menu at restaurants, but they’re a pretty big deal to Clevelanders. There’s a Cleveland Pierogi Guide, an annual Pierogi Dash (a pierogi-themed community run), there’s even Pierogi Week! Yes, Cleveland is known as The Best Pierogi City in America. So I’m sure you can understand why everyone at school knew and loved Mrs. T’s classic cheddar Pierogies.
Once we moved to Colorado, my mom and I would often enjoy them together as an after-school snack on early release days. We’d boil them off, top them with lots of cheddar cheese, and then melt the cheese for a quick minute in the microwave. If we were lucky, we’d have a fire going and enjoy them together.
It’s one of my more special childhood memories.
So now, as an adult, I love to incorporate pierogies into our fall and winter dinners. However, this is my first pierogi soup, and we’ve officially fallen hard for it. I think it’s my most delicious creamy soup to date.
If you love my homestyle chicken soup, think of those flavors, but so much creamier and with the addition of soft pillowy pierogi dumplings.
It’s a heavenly delicious soup!
The details
Step 1: cook the bacon
Before starting the base of the soup, cook off slices of bacon and dice them up. Get them really crispy, then add some rosemary. The rosemary will fry up in the oils and turn crisp.
Pull the bacon out of the pot and reserve it for topping. It’s really yummy when served atop this soup.
Step 2: make the soup base
This starts off just like your basic chicken soup. Cook the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme down with a touch of olive oil. Then, mix in a couple of tablespoons of butter and flour. The flour will help to thicken up the soup and give it a really beautiful creamy consistency.
Now, mix in the chicken broth, or chicken bone broth, which is what I’ve switched to using for added protein in our meals.
Step 3: cook the chicken
Bring the broth to a boil and add the chicken. I love to use a mix of chicken breasts and thighs, but use what you and your family prefer.
Simmer until the chicken shreds easily, about 20 minutes. You can then shred the chicken in the pot using two forks.
At this point, you can leave the soup simmering over low up to all day, or move forward with the recipe.
Step 4: finish the soup
When you’re almost ready to serve, stir in the kale or spinach. Then add the milk, or try using cream for an even smoother and creamier soup. Then add the cheddar cheese.
Bring the broth to a gentle boil and you can cook the pierogies directly in the soup. I do this only if I know we’ll be enjoying all of the soup at once. If you plan to save the soup for leftovers, I recommend boiling the pierogies according to package directions. Then simply add them to the soup when serving.
A note about pierogies:
For this recipe, I call for using frozen pierogi. It keeps the recipe quick and simple. However, you can also make my homemade cheddar pierogies if you prefer, but I’d make them in a mini size!
Step 5: Top and enjoy!
Ladle the pierogies and broth into a bowl, top with the reserved bacon and rosemary, then enjoy!
A simple recipe for the last Monday of October. Crazy that it’s going to be November in just two days! This will be the perfect soup for November nights. If your night could use some warming soup, this should be it. It’s going to be good!
Looking for other easy fall night dinners?? Here are my favorites:
Creamy French Onion and Mushroom Soup
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
One Pot Chicken and Sage Dumplings
One Pan Roasted Herb Chicken and Wild Rice
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Pierogi Chicken Soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Pierogi Chicken Soup with Rosemary Bacon Bits
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 843 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 6 carrots, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken or bone broth
- 2 chicken thighs or breasts
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream or whole milk
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 28 fresh or frozen mini potato pierogies (1 package)
Instructions
- 1. Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. During the last minute of cooking, add the rosemary. Remove the bacon from the pot. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. 2. To the pot, add the olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, until fragrant.3. Stir in the butter and flour, cook for 1 minute. Add the broth. Stir in the chicken. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. At this point, the soup can simmer on low for up to 4-6 hours.4. Shred the chicken using 2 forks. Stir in the kale, cream/milk, and the cheddar. Bring to a gentle boil and stir in the pierogies. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pierogies float. If the soup is too thick, add additional broth.5. Serve the soup topped with the rosemary bacon and parmesan cheese. Enjoy warm…preferably with a crusty piece of bread.
This post was originally published on October 30, 2023
Can you do rotisserie chicken to speed up the recipe? Would you change the amount of liquid?
Hey Rachel,
Sure, that would be great to use! I would keep everything else the same:) I hope you love this recipe! xT
Looks amazing, was wondering if this could be made a day or so ahead or will the pirogies get too mushy? Thank you
Thanks Donna! You could totally make this in advance and then wait to add the pierogi so they don’t get mushy! I hope you love this recipe! xx
My son was visiting from out of town and loves pierogis, the recipe came at a perfect time. It turned out quite delicious and was quickly gobbled up (you know how it is cook for boys). Thank you for another wonderful recipe.
Hey Annette,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was a hit! xT
Made this for dinner tonight and WOW! It was mind-blowingly delicious. We used mini frozen potato and onion pierogis and it turned out so so so tasty!!
Hi Tracy,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a try! xx
Delish is flavor! Really good! Saw it this morning and had to make it for dinner. Served with crusty bread! Warms the bones!!
Thanks so much Tara! Love to hear that this dish was enjoyed and I appreciate you making it:) xT
Are there other veggies you could add to this? I am not a big fan of celery in anything .. lol just curious!
Hey Leah,
Totally! You could skip the celery and that would be just fine, peppers would also be a great option for you! I hope this helps! xT
If one is short on time, do you think the soup could still be super tasty if you short-cutted by using broth and shredded rotisserie chicken? Do you think it will miss the depth of the slow boil of the chicken?
Hi Kara! Yes, that should work super well! xT
Can I do instapot? Already started and saw the 6 hour part. Please State that earlier.
You only need to simmer it for 20 min, irs optional for longer if you’d lime
When do the cayenne and thyme get put in?
The cayenne gets put in during the thyme with the onion
Warning! 4-6 hour simmering meal!!!!
My bad. I bought the ingredients, but did not process that part when I read the recipe.
Hopefully I can cool it and try it tomorrow and then rate it.
NOT A WEEKDAY MEAL!!!
Thanks for posting it, in any case.
It only needs to simmer for 20 minutes to cook the chicken. It says you CAN simmer for UP TO 4-6 hours, not that you have to.
Hey, you only have to simmer it for 20 min, it’s optional to simmer it longer. Hope that helps
Hi, have you tested any dairy free alternatives to milk/cream? Thanks!
You could definitely use coconut milk! xT
Ripple is a great non dairy cream option. It’s not coconut based if you don’t like coconut flavor.
Which brand of store bought perogi do you use or like? Thanks.
Looks amazing. Just confused about how much chicken to use, as there’s quite a weight difference between two chicken thighs and two chicken breasts. Can’t wait to try it…
I’m making this for my girls get together lunch
Question please – is this recipe in your any of your books? Would it be possible to note if the recipe is going forward?
Love all your recipes!
Best, Donna
Hi Donna! I’m so sorry this recipe isn’t in any of my books, just on my blog! 🙂 xT
Where do you find the potato Pierogies in Texas? I have never heard of them.
Check HEB! A search shows they have them.
Also, Kroger has them
Check in the frozen section of grocery stores. Walmart may carry them as well.
Walmart also carries them as does dollar general and Kroger’s. Just about every store does, you just have to look. They can be in strange area, start with looking by frozen pastas and the breads.