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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
Great recipe, start to finish. Not too many ingredients or too complicated to make. Delicious, cozy, love the bacon/rosemary combo topping.
Thanks so much, Rachel! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you! Thanks for your comment! xT
My husband moaned with the first bite; kept saying how delicious it was, and I need to add it to the repertoire. Substituted gnocchi for the pierogis. The perfect cold weather meal.
Hey Susan,
Fantastic! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a great weekend:)
What a delicious recipe!! Very easy to make. I used Costco Pre Cooked bacon , super efficient to cook. And no onion. My husband doesn’t enjoy onions. We both loved this meal! Can’t wait to cook it again.
Hi Brandy,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was delish, thanks for trying it and your comment! xT
This is really a fantastic combination of deliciousness. Super cozy, creamy and even packs a little kick depending on how much cayenne you use! Not much more comforting than cheese & potatoe pierogis.
Thanks so much Lorelei!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you! xx
This was SO flavorful I can’t even describe it!! Like fireworks in your mouth. Super cozy and filling. Adding this recipe to my list of regular go-tos. Thank you so much for sharing! Xoxo
Hi Meg,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was delish, thanks for trying it and your comment! xT
Perfect for a Fall family dinner! I couldn’t find any gluten free Pierogis. Would cubed baby potatoes work well as a substitute or would GF cheese tortellinis be better?
Thanks so much Shelly! I think potatoes would be great in this recipe:) Let me know how that works for you! xT
I would classify this soup in the BEST EVER category! My entire family loved it and wants it again! We added a little cornstarch to thicken it up at the end and it was perfect! The flavors are amazing, especially with the homemade bacon bits. Highly recommend!!! You will not be disappointed …
Yay!! Love to hear this, Alison! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback:) xT
I have some leftover butternut squash that’s cubed I need to use, do you think that would be a good combination?
Hi Natasha,
Sure, butternut squash might be a yummy addition here! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
SOOOO good!!! I made this with normal size frozen pierogies…kind of wish I knew mini pierogies were a thing, but I already had the normal ones on hand. But this was such an amazing soup, so much flavor! Just ate the leftovers for lunch today…also, my husband told me I could make this recipe anytime I want 🙂
Hey Erin,
Thanks so much for making this soup! I love to hear that it was a hit! xT
This is AWESOME and delicious. We loved it.
Thanks so much Mara! So glad to hear this soup was a hit, thanks for trying it! xT
Hi! Do you think this could be made in the crockpot?
Hi Caroline,
I think the best option for this recipe is the stove top:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love it! xT
SOOO GOOD!!! I used frozen pierogis, it turned out amazing. Perfect fall and winter soup!!
Hey Kristen,
Thanks for your comment and trying this recipe! I am so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great day:)
Where does the cayenne go in?
The cayenne is added in step 2:)
Is there a certain kind of pierogies I should use? Just the classic onion okay?
Hi Mary,
Any pierogi that you enjoy will work here:) I hope you love this recipe! xT
I made the soup this evening and my husband and I really enjoyed it! Adding to our favorites so we can add it to our cold weather rotation! Thanks for a tasty way to enjoy pierogies!
Hi Stephanie,
I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) xT
This was absolutely delicious and easy to make! We can’t wait to have it again on a cold winter night.
Thanks so much Samantha!! Thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it! xT
When do you add the cayenne? It’s on the ingredient list, but the recipe doesn’t say. Thanks!
Hi Katie,
Sorry about that, you can add the cayenne in step 2:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I made this soup and it is delicious. I would like to freeze some of it. Is this a soup that can be frozen and enjoyed later?
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe Laura!! Sure, you could totally freeze this! Have a great week:)
I do not like Kale what can I replace it with?
Spinach would be a great option!