My Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is comfort food at its most satisfying. A rich, creamy broth is filled with a medley of vegetables, shredded chicken breast, aromatic herbs and tender noodles. And although creamy, it is a light, warming soup with a silky texture. This creamy version of a classic has the same soothing, restorative power.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It is quickly and easily made, making it perfect when you want a satisfying, family-friendly meal and time is short.
- You can customise the ingredients to suit your taste or what you have on hand.
- The soup is made in one pot. That means less washing up - always good!
- It is a satisfying soup, ideal to serve as a complete meal.
- The soup can be gluten-free by using the appropriate flour and noodles.
- This really is the ultimate comfort food and a family favourite dish.
Recipe Inspiration: my Mediterranean Chicken Noodle Soup is a perennial favourite, and I make it often. However, I was inclined one day to adjust the recipe slightly; I had no tomatoes but did have cream. I was delighted that such a small amount could make the broth so deliciously silky and this soup is now on regular rotation.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: this is the least processed olive oil as it is from the first pressing of the olives. Use the best olive oil that you have.
- Butter: adds richness to the broth, and together with the flour it forms a roux to slightly thicken the soup and help prevent the cream separating.
- Garlic: we use fresh garlic. The flavour is superior to jarred varieties.
- Plain/all-purpose flour: we use this to make the roux. Use gluten-free if necessary.
- Chicken stock: use a homemade stock or good quality commercial one.
- Parmesan rind: a strip of Parmesan rind adds great flavour to soups, stews or pasta sauces. Freeze leftover rinds in a zip lock bag. It is a great way to use an ingredient that is often discarded.
- Fresh rosemary and thyme: these herbs add so much flavour.
- Skinless, boneless chicken breasts: you will find so many ways to use this versatile ingredient. Two of my favourite ways to use them are my Mediterranean Marinated Chicken Breast and Poached Chicken Breast.
- Zucchini/courgette: a member of the summer squash family, this is a versatile ingredient, use it for sweet or savoury dishes. Two of my favourite ways to use it are in Creamy Zucchini Pasta and Chicken Rissoles.
- Noodles: I find this soup a great way to use up leftover packets of noodles or pasta. You can use any kind that you enjoy, and gluten-free if preferred.
- Heavy/thickened cream: this is cream with a minimum 35% milk fat.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper: for the best result, the soup must be adequately seasoned to bring out the flavours. Unseasoned food can be bland.
- Italian/flat leaf parsley: for the best flavour, this parsley is preferred.
Variations:
Chicken breast: if you prefer, you could use skinless, boneless chicken thighs. As well, you could use leftover roast chicken, added towards the end to just warm through.
Vegetables: baby spinach or kale is a great addition or substitution.
How To Make Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 - Sauté the vegetables:
Add olive oil and butter to a large saucepan. Over medium heat, sauté the diced onion, carrot and celery until the vegetables soften. Stir occasionally. Add garlic and cook, add the flour, stir and cook.
2 - Simmer the soup base and cook the chicken:
Add chicken stock, Parmesan rind, herbs and chicken breasts. Simmer until the chicken is cooked. Remove from the broth, and when cool enough to handle, shred the meat.
3 - Shred the chicken:
Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts. Set aside until the soup is almost ready.
4 - Bring the soup together:
Add the zucchini to the pan and bring back to a simmer. Add the noodles and stir well. The cooking time will vary depending on the noodles you use. When the noodles have almost finished cooking, add the cream and return the chicken to the pan. Check the seasoning and remove the parmesan rind. Serve with the fresh parsley.
Hint: before serving the soup, check that the seasoning is to your liking, adding more salt, pepper or chilli flakes if necessary. The amount of seasoning that your soup requires will depend on how much flavour your stock has.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
If you are not serving the soup immediately, I recommend that you cook the noodles separately and add them when you're ready to serve the soup. Otherwise, if the noodles are left in the broth, they will soften and absorb liquid.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. It will have thickened slightly on standing, so add more stock or water as necessary when reheating.
We don't recommend freezing this recipe. Freezing can alter the texture of the cream and the noodles will be too soft.
Top Tip:
For the best result, use good quality, fresh ingredients and use a richly flavoured stock, either homemade or store bought, as it is the base of the soup.
Serving Suggestions:
This flavour-filled Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is a satisfying meal in a bowl. Some serving suggestions are:
- Enjoy it for a light lunch.
- Serve with our Easy No-Knead Spelt Focaccia for a more substantial meal.
- It is a very welcome homemade gift for new parents or a loved one who is unwell.
Nothing warms the soul like homemade soup, and I am certain this Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup will become a family favourite. I look forward to hearing in the comments below if you give it a try.
Alex xx
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Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil See Note 1
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium brown/yellow onion - peeled and finely diced
- 1 large carrot - washed, finely diced
- 2 ribs celery - finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon plain/all-purpose flour See Note 2
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary - finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme - finely chopped
- 1 piece Parmesan rind - about 7 ½ cm/3 inches See Note 3
- 4 ½ cups (1.125 litres) chicken stock See Note 4
- 2 skinless/boneless chicken breasts - approx. 400 g (14 oz total weight)
- 1 medium zucchini/courgette - cut into small cubes
- 120 g (4.2 oz) noodles - egg noodles or pasta of your choice, about 3cm/1 inch in length
- ½ cup (125 ml) heavy whipping/thickened cream See Note 5
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste See Note 6
To Serve:
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley - finely chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Add olive oil and butter to a large saucepan, and over medium heat, add the diced onion, carrot and celery and sauté gently for about 5-7 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent. Stir occasionally.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Then, add the flour, stir and cook for a further 2minutes.
- To the vegetables, add in the stock, chicken breast, herbs and Parmesan rind. Make sure the chicken breasts are submerged with the liquid.Over low heat, with the lid on, gently bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for about 12-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and registers 74 C (165 F) on a thermometer. Remove the chicken breasts and set aside on a chopping board to rest for 5 minutes before shredding with two forks. Set aside.
- Add the zucchini to the pan and bring back to a simmer.Add the noodles and cook until they are just al dente. Stir well so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. The cooking time will vary depending on the noodles you use.
- When the noodles have almost finished cooking, add in the cream and return the chicken to the pan. Check that the seasoning is to your liking.
- If the soup is too thick, add a little extra stock.Ladle the soup into bowls, discarding the parmesan rind.Serve with finely chopped fresh parsley. If not serving immediately, keep in mind the soup will thicken on standing and more stock may be required.
Notes
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each listed tablespoon.
- Gluten-free: adapt this recipe to gluten-free by using the appropriate flour and pasta/noodles.
- Parmesan Rind: a small piece of leftover Parmesan rind softens as the soup cooks and adds great flavour.
- Stock: you could also use vegetable stock.
- Cream: for a creamy texture and best flavour, use full-fat cream. Thickened/heavy whipping cream should have a minimum 35% fat content.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking - we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour. Add some red chilli pepper flakes if you like the heat.
- Make-ahead: if you are not serving the soup straight away, I recommend that you cook the noodles separately and add them when warming the soup. The noodles may absorb liquid, some varieties more than others, as they sit in the broth and soften.
- Storage and reheating: store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. It can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. The soup will thicken while standing, so just add some more stock or water.
- Freezing: this recipe is not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Kai says
Loved this. Very old fashioned comfort food. Fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley really elevate the flavour but I reduced the amount of cream to one third of a cup.
Perfect for a cold wet wintry night.
Alexandra Cook says
Hi Kai,
Thank you so much for making - I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Alex xo