Gather your ingredients: dice the chicken, thinly slice the carrots, finely chop the onion, and mince the garlic. Keep everything ready near your slow cooker for smooth assembly.
If you have time, sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic in a skillet over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until fragrant and slightly translucent. This step builds a richer aroma, but you can skip it for convenience.
Add the diced chicken, sliced carrots, sautéed or raw onion and garlic, chicken broth, dried thyme, and bay leaf into your slow cooker. Give everything a good stir to combine all the ingredients evenly.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. During this time, the chicken will become tender, and the flavors will meld beautifully, filling your kitchen with a savory aroma.
Once cooking is complete, remove the bay leaf and give the soup a gentle stir. Use a whisk to stir in the cream cheese chunks until fully melted and the soup turns silky and creamy. If the soup is too thick, add a splash of hot broth or water to loosen it up.
Check the soup’s consistency— it should be velvety and thick, with the chicken and vegetables soft but not mushy. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. For extra thickness, stir in a teaspoon of flour or cornstarch dissolved in cold water and cook on HIGH for another 10 minutes until thickened.
Use a ladle to serve the hot, creamy soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh herbs if you like, and enjoy the comforting aroma and velvety texture in every spoonful.
