Panera Sonoma Chicken Stew

Inspired by a stew once sold at Panera Bread, this Panera Sonoma Chicken Stew combines veggies, chicken, and thyme in a delicious, creamy broth.

In the fall of 2011, Panera Bread featured a Sonoma Chicken Stew. It was pricier than their typical soups, but it was served with Dry Jack Cheese Biscuits on top.

This stew was very similar to their cream of chicken and wild rice soup, which has been one of my favorites since I was in high school. It is a creamy soup base with chicken and vegetables, but perhaps my favorite part was these small round carrots. I was completely baffled by them. They were so tasty and has a perfect texture. Each had a marking where a stem would be, so it wasn’t just small pieces of carrot that were rolled around to form balls. I did some research and found that they are actually called thumbelina carrots and are sometimes grown in Sonoma, California.

I loved this stew so much that Bob and I often went to Panera while I was pregnant with Ava just to get this stew. Sadly, in the fall of 2012, the stew did not return to the fall menu! I was crushed and knew I had to come up with a way to recreate this stew: a Panera Copycat Sonoma Chicken Stew.  My sister Lisa and I set out to do just that.

LOVE PANERA BREAD? Check out my Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup (with a gluten free option), Panera Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup, Panera BBQ Chicken Salad, Panera BBQ Ranch Dressing, Panera Southwest Chile Lime Ranch Salad, and Panera Chile Lime Ranch Dressing!

Developing the Sonoma Chicken Stew Recipe

Lisa and I pulled components from recipes for Chicken & Dumplings, and added in what I remembered being in the Sonoma Chicken Stew. Of course, I couldn’t find thumbelina carrots anywhere, so we made do with regular carrots. The stew turned out amazing!  

We served the stew with these Cheddar Bay Biscuits, a copycat recipe from the biscuits at Red Lobster. The combination of the stew and biscuits made for a very delicious meal!

Funny thing, shortly after we made this stew, I found “Parisian Carrots” in the freezer section of Trader Joe’s. They are the same little round carrot balls!  I stocked up!  

Gluten Free Sonoma Chicken Stew

In place of the all purpose flour, use a gluten free cup for cup flour. My favorite is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour.

Looking for more Soup and Chili Recipes?

Check out these recipes:
Panera Copycat Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup
Low Carb White Chicken Chili
Turkey Chili {Low Carb and Keto Options}
Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Simplified Chicken Tortilla Soup
Homemade Turkey Soup
Leek and Potato Soup
Black Bean Soup
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
Chicken, Leek, and Tomato Soup
Chicken Sausage Florentine Soup
Chili Coconut Chicken Soup
Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup – Panera Copycat
Creamy Tomato Basil and Italian Turkey Sausage Soup

Panera Sonoma Chicken Stew

Meghan

Inspired by a stew sold at Panera Bread, this Panera Sonoma Chicken Stew combines veggies, chicken, and thyme in a delicious, creamy broth.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1.25 – 1.5 lbs chicken breast (cut into small pieces)
• 3 carrots (peeled and chopped, or thumbelina/Parisian carrots)
• 1 leek (quartered and sliced thin)
• 1 yellow onion (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 pound red potatoes (skin-on, diced small)
• 1/2 cup baby peas (or more)
• Fresh thyme (several sprigs)
• 1/2 – 2/3 cup heavy cream

Instructions

 

• Melt butter over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken and cook until browned or opaque and cooked through, about 4-6 minutes. Remove chicken and keep warm.
• Add carrots, onion, and leek to the Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables begin to soften, 4 – 5 minutes. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add chicken broth slowly and bring to a boil.
• Add potatoes, peas, and thyme, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until cooked through. If stew is getting too thick, cover while continuing to simmer. Add cooked chicken back to the Dutch oven and cook just until warmed.
• Add heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

Notes

You’re Gonna Bake It After All

bakeitafterall.com

Keyword chicken, potatoes, soup