Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is the ultimate comfort food, packed with tender chicken, hearty noodles, and a velvety broth that feels like a warm hug in a bowl. It’s quick, easy, and guaranteed to make your family swoon - one spoonful at a time!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 307kcal
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ yellow onion chopped (about 1 cup)
- 3 carrots peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 ribs celery sliced ⅜-inch thick (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup white wine optional; OR use extra broth
- 6 cups chicken broth plus up to 2 cups more as needed
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 heaping cups wide egg noodles
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- fresh parsley and thyme for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook vegetables: In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and dried thyme, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add flour: Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stirring well to coat, and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, but not browning.
- Add liquids: Add wine (or additional broth if not using wine) and stir until smooth. Pour in broth, stirring to fully incorporate flour into liquid.
- Cook soup: Nestle chicken breasts into pot, ensuring they are fully submerged in liquid. Cover and simmer over medium heat until chicken is tender, about 15–20 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside on a cutting board to rest before shredding.
- Add noodles: Bring soup to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Add noodles and cook until halfway done, about 5 minutes.
- Shred chicken: While noodles cook, shred chicken using two forks.
- Finish cooking soup: Once noodles are halfway cooked, stir cream into soup. Add shredded chicken. If soup is too thick, add more broth to reach your desired consistency. Continue simmering until noodles are fully cooked. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley and thyme, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Butter: Use unsalted for seasoning control; reduce salt if using salted.
- Chicken: Swap chicken breast for boneless, skinless chicken thighs or shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Cream: Heavy cream is ideal; half-and-half works for a lighter option.
Recipe tips
- Veggies: Take time to sauté slowly until softened for a flavorful base.
- Flour: Cook fully but slowly to avoid raw taste and ensure smooth thickening.
- Chicken: Simmer gently to keep it turn out tender, not dry.
- Consistency: Add extra broth (up to 2 cups) if soup is too thick.
- Noodles: Cook halfway before adding cream to avoid mushiness.
Storage tips
- Make-ahead: Chop veggies/cook and shred chicken up to 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated separately.
- Leftovers: Cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days; reheat gently with broth.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 764mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4736IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg