Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
My family LOVES this soup! Using store-bought rotisserie chicken keeps this creamy chicken noodle soup recipe quick and easy, while fresh herbs amp up the flavor. Plus, the leftovers are fantastic! Usually, noodles tend to soak up all the broth, but I found that wasn’t an issue with this creamy chicken noodle soup.
Soup season is one of the best times of year. If you’re looking for more cozy soups to snuggle up with, you’ve come to the right place! For more creamy soups, don’t miss my Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili or my Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup. If you like a bit of spice, you’ll love my Buffalo Chicken Soup and my Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup.
Why This Recipe Works
- Best chicken noodle soup recipe. There is nothing quite like homemade chicken noodle soup. I was able to use fresh thyme and sage from my garden in this soup, and wow, they really made this soup taste amazing! And I love that the creamy broth didn’t get totally soaked up by the noodles when we had leftovers the next day.
- Hearty and delicious. The creamy, savory broth, paired with wide egg noodles, makes this soup extra hearty and filling, and I love it. It’s perfect cold-weather comfort food, especially served with some crusty bread or rolls!
- Easy creamy chicken noodle soup recipe. I love a shortcut, and using rotisserie chicken means this soup is done in less than an hour. But if you prefer to use raw chicken breast, I have instructions for how to do so.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: We’re going to cook our vegetables in butter, and it will also serve as the base for our roux that makes this soup creamy. You could use vegetable oil instead, but butter has a richer flavor that I love.
- Veggies: Like a classic chicken noodle soup, this homemade creamy chicken noodle soup recipe uses a mixture of onion, celery, and carrot at its base. We’ll also throw in a little minced garlic for flavor.
- Flour: Adding flour to the mirepoix (the vegetables cooked in butter) is another critical part of the roux that will make this soup creamy.
- Fresh herbs: I love the flavor of fresh herbs. If you’re in a pinch, dried herbs will do, just reduce the amounts because dried herbs are much more potent.
- Reduced-sodium chicken broth: This is my liquid of choice to add to this soup because it’s going to add even more flavor.
- Chicken: I like to use rotisserie chicken to keep this recipe easy, but you can also cook raw chicken breasts in the broth before adding the egg noodles.
- Heavy cream: For even more delicious creamy flavor! You could swap in half and half if you prefer, it will just be a little less rich and creamy.
- Noodles: I think thick egg noodles are the best type of noodles to use in chicken noodle soup. I use Grandma’s wide egg noodles that can be found in the frozen aisle. You can use your favorite noodle.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmesan adds even more savory flavor and also aids in the creaminess of the soup.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Prep ingredients. Dice 1 yellow onion, enough celery to make 1 cup (2-4 ribs), and enough carrots for 1 cup (about 2 medium carrots). Mince enough garlic for 1 teaspoon, or use 1 teaspoon of jarred minced garlic. Chop enough fresh thyme and fresh sage for 2 tablespoons each. Shred or chop 2 cups of rotisserie chicken. Grate ¼ cup of Parmesan and chop ¼ cup of parsley.
- Cook veggies. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery, along with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add flour and herbs. Stir ⅓ cup of flour along with 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme and 2 tablespoons of fresh sage into the vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add broth and noodles. Pour in 8 cups of low sodium chicken broth and bring your soup to a boil. Once boiling, add 16 oz of wide egg noodles (or noodles of choice). Cook noodles until just short of al dente.
- Add remaining ingredients. Stir in 2 cups of chopped chicken, 1 cup of heavy cream, and ¼ cup of grated parmesan and ¼ cup of parsley. Heat until all the ingredients are warmed, about 3-5 minutes. Serve immediately, topped with more Parmesan or fresh herbs if desired.
Recipe Tips
If you don’t have fresh herbs, dried herbs work great! Just reduce the amount to 2 teaspoons each, since dried herbs are much more potent.
Use any herbs you like! I love sage and thyme, but rosemary could also be good, or even maybe some oregano. You can play around with combinations to find what you like.
You can substitute half and half for heavy cream. The soup won’t be quite as thick and creamy but it will still be delicious. If you’re dairy free, you can try blending a can of white beans up to add to the soup to add some thickness.
To make this recipe with raw chicken breast, add 2-3 raw chicken breasts to the soup when you bring the broth to a boil. Boil for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken breasts reaches 165°F. Remove the chicken and chop or shred it into bite-sized pieces, then add the cooked chicken back to the pot and continue on with the recipe.
I didn’t have a problem with the noodles absorbing all of the broth when I put the leftover soup in the fridge, which often happens with noodle soups. However, if you are using this soup for meal prep, you can cook the noodles separately and keep them in a different container and just add them to the soup when you reheat it.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
Make Ahead: This soup will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge so it’s great to make ahead. If you prefer, you can cook the noodles and keep them separate from the soup until just before serving.
Storing: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Freezing: You can freeze this soup minus the noodles for up to 6 months in a freezer-safe container.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Dairy products tend to separate after being thawed, however, since we’re adding dairy to a bunch of other liquid it shouldn’t be a problem. Just give it a good stir when you reheat it.
Cream is a big part of what makes this soup, well, creamy! But you can swap it out for half-and-half, or leave it out entirely. The roux will make this soup a little creamy, but not much.
This soup will stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
What to Serve with Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
More Easy Soup Recipes
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion - diced
- 1 cup carrots - small chopped
- 1 cup celery - diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves - chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage - chopped
- 8 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked chicken - shredded or chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream - or half and half
- 16 oz wide egg noodles - uncooked
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley - chopped
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat melt the butter. Once melted add the onion, carrot, and celery and salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute more. Stir in the flour, thyme and sage. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the egg noodles and cook according to package directions or until a few minutes under al dente. Add the cooked chopped chicken, heavy cream, Parmesan, and parsley and heat until warmed, about 3-5 minutes. Serve, topped with additional fresh herbs and parmesan, if desired.
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