Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is a delicious and nutritious comfort food that is full of protein and vegetables. Make it ahead of time to rescue you from the chill of cold winter days!
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Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodles soup is such a staple recipe for cozy days in and when you get a case of the sniffles.
This comfort food is charming and feels like a warm hug for your taste buds and a cozy blanket for your soul. Hold onto your spoons, because we’ve cracked the code to create a simple way to elevate this nostalgia-packed recipe!
This recipe has all the usual ingredients of chicken noodle soup and is just as filling as the original. However, instead of featuring a thin, both-based liquid, this soup gets a boost of creamy goodness.
As a result, it’s extra comforting and delicious. Especially when you pair it with no knead cheesy focaccia bread or homemade garlic bread!
This creamy chicken soup is easy to make, full of flavor, and nutrients. Plus, it’s kid-approved and sure to become your new cold-weather go-to!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Made with simple, pantry staple ingredients, recipes don’t get simpler than this creamy chicken noodle soup! Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Olive Oil – Used to sauté the veggies and add a boost of healthy fats.
- Chicken – We prefer to use leftover cooked chicken from rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken breasts. You can also make homemade chicken thighs if preferred.
- Vegetables – Onions, carrots, celery, and garlic add vitamins, nutrients, fiber, and flavor to this recipe.
- Flavor Enhancers – Salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, basil, thyme, ground cumin, and bay leaves add a warm, savory taste.
- Broth – We prefer to use low-sodium chicken broth, but vegetable broth or chicken stock would work as well.
- Better Than Bouillon – This is our secret weapon to creating the richest, most flavorful broth!
- Milk – Full-fat milk creates an extra creamy texture. Feel free to substitute half and half or heavy cream if preferred.
- Cornstarch – This combines with the milk to create a sort of roux, thickening the creamy chicken soup.
- Noodles – To make this extra kid-friendly and almost orzo-like, we love to use star noodles, but egg noodles work great, too.
- Cheese – Technically optional, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese makes everything better!
How to Make the Best Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Creating this creamy chicken soup recipe looks pretty identical to standard chicken noodle soup. It just has one extra step that takes it from good to great!
- Sauté the vegetables. Add the olive oil to a large pot along with the onions, carrots, and celery. Wait until the onions are translucent and the veggies have softened. Then, add the garlic, and sauté for another minute or until it is fragrant.
- Create the soup base. Add the flour to the pot, and mix. Then, add the bouillon, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and broth.
- Boil. Cover the pot, and bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the mixture simmer.
- Thicken the creamy chicken soup. In a separate bowl, combine the milk and cornstarch until smooth. Add the mixture to the pot of soup along with the pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente and the broth is thick.
- Add the chicken. Stir in the chicken, and continue to heat until all the ingredients warm through.
- Serve. Transfer the soup to individual bowls, garnish with Parmesan cheese, and serve warm!
Serving Suggestions
A complete meal all on its own, this easy creamy chicken noodle soup makes for a comforting lunch or dinner by itself! However, it’s also ready to mingle with your favorite sides and appetizers.
Here are some of our favorite pairings:
- Green Goddess Salad
- Greek Salad
- Crackers
- Dinner Rolls
- Crusty Bread
How to Store Creamy Chicken Soup
We don’t recommend freezing the recipe as the dairy will split and curdle once it thaws. However, you can transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to three to four days.
Note: Be sure to add the noodles just before serving. Otherwise, they’re likely to become mushy.
If you’re making this soup ahead of time, we recommend cooking the noodles separately. Store the soup and noodles in two airtight containers until you’re ready to eat. This will prevent the noodles from absorbing extra moisture from the soup.
When you’re ready to eat, transfer the soup back to a pot on the stovetop over medium heat. Or, warm individual portions in the microwave.
Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe Common Questions
We found that star noodles hold their shape best, but egg noodles taste great, too!
Yes, replace the milk with full-fat coconut milk to keep this creamy chicken noodle soup dairy-free.
Use fresh herbs, and adjust the herbs and spices to suit your flavor preferences.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
Craving more soup-spiration for the whole fam? Look no further! Below, we’ve rounded up some of our absolute family-friendly favorites.
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Slow Cooker Potato Soup
- Easy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- Middle Eastern Orzo Soup
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 ½ cups carrots sliced
- 1 ½ cups celery sliced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon Better than Bouillon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups milk or half and half
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 8 ounces star noodles uncooked
- 2 ½ cups rotisserie chicken shredded
- Optional: Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the olive oil, and sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 4-5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the garlic, and continue to sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant.2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 ½ cups carrots, 1 ½ cups celery, 1 onion, 5 cloves garlic
- In the pot, stir in the flour for 1-2 minutes. Add the Better than Bouillon, oregano, parsley, basil, cumin, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and broth.Salt to taste, Pepper to taste, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 Tablespoon Better than Bouillon, 1 Tablespoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 2 bay leaves
- Cover the pot, and bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 12-14 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine the milk and cornstarch until smooth. Stir the mixture into the pot along with the uncooked noodles. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the noodles are al dente and the broth is thick.2 cups milk or half and half, 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, 8 ounces star noodles
- Stir in the shredded chicken, and simmer until the desired temperature is reached. Garnish with parmesan, if desired.2 ½ cups rotisserie chicken, Optional: Parmesan cheese for garnish
- Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Equipment
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love the recipe, but just FYI, the herbs and spices in the ingredients list don’t match the ones in the directions. ❤