Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
This is hands down the best Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, I have ever tried. It’s deeply savory, perfectly creamy and packed with tender chicken, vegetables and al dente noodles/pasta.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I wanted to keep this recipe super simple and use only ingredients you are likely to have in your kitchen already, or are easy to buy from your local supermarket. With simple soup recipes, using a really great stock is very important. Homemade is always a good idea (use the whole chicken method from my Chicken a la King recipe for the BEST stock) but using store-bought chicken stock or bone broth works well too.
- Chicken breasts. You can absolutely use cooked and shredded chicken, a rotisserie chicken/leftover chicken works so well in soups. A whole chicken is also a good idea because the stock it makes can be used for the soup. I chose chicken breasts because they cook quickly making this recipe a great option for weeknights. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs can also be used.
- Vegetables: Onion, carrots, celery and fresh garlic cloves. Feel free to add other vegetables of your choice. Mushrooms and potatoes are good to add to the soup base whereas vegetables like spinach or kale are best added at the end of cooking to prevent them from overcooking.
- Noodles/pasta. I prefer a short pasta shape for soups but any egg noodles of your choice will work well. Long pasta shapes are best broken to fit onto a spoon.
- Butter. Olive oil can be used instead.
- Flour. Cornstarch is a good swap.
- Chicken stock/chicken broth. Bone broth is a great substitute and adds plenty of protein to the soup.
- Milk and cream. Substitute with half and half if preferred.
- Fresh herbs. I used a combination of thyme, fresh parsley and sage but bay leaves are also a good option.
- Salt and black pepper. Other seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder and dried herbs like oregano will also be delicious.
How To Make Chicken Noodle Soup
- Sauté: Cook the chopped vegetables until softened. Add the garlic and herbs with the flour then pour in the stock.
- Cook: Add the chicken breasts; season to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the chicken breasts are cooked through and tender. Pour in the cream and milk then simmer for another 10 minutes. Season to taste.
- Finish: Remove the chicken breasts, shred and add back to the soup before freezing. Add the pasta to the soup at the stage and cook for another 10 minutes or until the noodles are cooked. Season to taste and serve.
Can I Make This Ahead?
Soup is also a great recipe to make ahead and freeze. Allow the chicken noodle soup to cool to room temperature then transfer to a freezer safe, airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. If you’re planning on making this recipe ahead, I would suggest leaving out the noodles and only adding them right before serving. This prevents them from absorbing too much liquid and becoming soft. Add the cooked pasta to the soup and allow to simmer until warmed through before serving.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is a great meal on its own but adding some crusty bread is never a bad idea.
Video
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced/finely chopped
- 6 sage leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh parsley
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 4 tbsp flour
- 8 cups chicken stock bone broth is a great option and adds lots of protein to the soup
- 1 lb (500g) chicken breasts
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 10 oz (300g) egg noodles/short pasta of your choice
Instructions
- Set a large, deep Dutch Oven or pot over medium-high heat and melt the butter.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for a few minutes until softened.
- Add in the garlic and herbs (I tie them together to make it easy to fish out the stalks at the end of cooking). Cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and stir into the vegetables. Pour in the stock.
- Add the chicken breasts. Add a big pinch of salt and pepper then cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer gently for 20 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
- Remove the chicken breast from the soup and shred using two forks.
- Add the chicken, milk and cream to the soup and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes.
- If you're preparing the soup ahead, allow to cool at this stage and transfer to airtight containers or freezer bags.
- If serving immediately, add the pasta/noodles to the soup and cook for another 10 minutes or until al dente.
- Season to taste and serve.
Notes
- I prefer adding cooked noodles/pasta to the soup instead of cooking the pasta in the soup. This is optional and definitely not as easy as doing it all in one pot. It also gives you the versatility of keeping the soup leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days.
- Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten up the soup. I love doing this with creamy soup recipes.
- Use any short pasta shape of your choice. Fusilli, orzo, penne or wide egg noodles are all good options.
Nutrition
Chicken Soup Recipes
Delicious as always. Our new winter fave… It’s so easy to make and everyone in the house adores this creamy chicken soup.
Next time time we’re making double💗
This Chicken Noodle Soup is delicious! My family absolutely loved it – it’s hearty, flavourful, and utterly yummy! It’s definitely a winner and will be a go-to favourite from now on
I’m so happy to hear that Helen!
This was delicious and flavourful – I only wish I’d doubled or tripled the recipe so there were more leftovers!
So glad you liked it Julie!
The most delicious chicken soup I have ever made. Full of flavour, cozy and very satisfying.
Thanks so much for your lovely comment Carmen!
The best chicken soup I have made in a long time! So rich, so creamy, so tasty!!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Lauren!
This must be the best chicken soup I have ever made. Thank you for sharing this. Honestly – the best!!!
The flavour and “richness” is incredible and the soup brings on such a great depth of flavour. It’s so yummy!
Thanks so much Mitch! I think the key is the combination of the sage and thyme with a good chicken stock 🙂
Absolutely delish!!!!
The flavour was amazing. I used tricolour fusilli pasta and it was so pretty!
Most impressed. Will make this on repeat. 💖
Love the idea of using the tricolore pasta! So glad you liked it, Sonia!