Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
This creamy chicken noodle soup recipe is the best cozy comfort food meal! Tender chicken and veggies are cooked in a creamy broth and served over dumpling noodles for the comfort of a chicken noodle soup, but a little elevated. It’s a great recipe: easy to make, made with simple ingredients, and warm and cozy.
The ultimate bowl of comfort food 🍜✨
There’s something deeply satisfied about chicken noodle soup and then when you add a little cream to it? Cool evening dinner perfection!
I love using bone broth in soups for an extra rich flavor as well as a protein boost that makes for a super satisfying meal. Each serving has more than 35 grams of protein. It’s…
😋 Seriously delicious: This soup has layers of flavor that start with a rich, velvety broth, tender chicken and veggies, and perfectly cooked noodles in every bite.
🛒 Made with simple ingredients: Nothing fancy needed here, we’re using basic pantry staples and some fresh ingredients you probably already have.
⏰ Quick cooking time: Ready in just 45 minutes from start to finish with minimal hands-on time.
👨👩👧👦 Family-friendly: Appeals to all ages and perfect for picky eaters who love classic flavors.
💰 Budget-friendly: Uses affordable chicken thighs and basic vegetables for maximum flavor impact.
🥄 Perfect for meal prep: Tastes even better the next day if you want to prep things ahead.
If you love soups as much as we do, be sure to try my dumpling soup, homemade chili, chicken taco soup, or protein pastina next time.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this hearty chicken noodle soup to the table: oil, butter, chicken thighs, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, yellow onion, carrots, celery, flour, chicken broth, heavy cream, and egg noodles.
- Chicken thighs: Look for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. If you prefer to use chicken breasts, you could also use them in place of the thighs. You could also use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken. Simply cook the veggies first and then add shredded chicken, being careful not to overcook and dry out. I prefer chicken thighs as it has a little fat to keep things really flavorful, and the chicken doesn’t dry out as easily as a breast does.
- Broth: I prefer to use bone broth for the richest flavor and a great, naturally creamy texture, but you could also use chicken broth or chicken stock. Homemade chicken stock or bone broth is superior in flavor (in my opinion!), but store-bought broths work really well and are what I’ve used here.
- Egg noodles: While the type of noodles doesn’t matter a ton, I love this soup with egg noodles – preferably homestyle egg noodles. Here are the ones I recommend, but use your favorite pasta.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: Use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts so your meat stays nice and tender.
- Shortcuts: Rotisserie chicken works in a pinch, but add it in the last 10 minutes to prevent overcooking and use store-bought chicken broth for the base.
- Feeding kids without pressure: I would recommend serving the creamy homemade chicken noodle soup in a pinch bowl (taster bowl) if it’s a new or learning-to-like it food. Serve the meal with a few items you know your kids will eat, like fruit, milk, and/or bread and butter if they don’t like plain noodles.
- Additions: You could also add some frozen peas in the last few minutes of cooking for a nod to chicken pot pie or swap out the noodles for rice, orzo, or diced potatoes.
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: ~9 servings (1 1/2 cups per serving)
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Description
This creamy chicken noodle soup is pure comfort food! Ready in 45 minutes with tender chicken, perfectly cooked noodles, and rich homemade flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 1/2 lb. chicken thighs (skinless, boneless), cut into small bite-sized pieces about 1/2-inch
- 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt, divided
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 medium stalks of celery, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken bone broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 12 oz. egg noodles
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter over medium-high heat in a large soup pot or dutch oven.
- Add chicken thigh pieces and season with poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon of the sea salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add onion, carrots, celery, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to dutch oven and stir to combine. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until veggies are soft.
- Sprinkle flour over the veggies and chicken and stir to combine; the flour mixture should look like a paste. Stirring constantly, cook for 30-60 seconds.
- Add chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- While soup is simmering, cook egg noodles according to package instructions and drain.
- Stir in heavy cream and place egg noodles in a bowl. Top with soup and finish with flaky salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover homemade creamy chicken noodle soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I recommend storing the noodles separately so they don’t get soggy, but if you do, you may need to add some extra broth when reheating to account for the liquid the noodles will absorb. Reheat soup in the microwave or the stove top until hot.
- Ingredient notes: I recommend using high-quality egg noodles like these or similar. While I love the flavor and protein boost of bone broth, regular chicken broth or chicken stock will also work beautifully in this soup.
- Prep ahead: Make the soup base without noodles up to 2 days ahead, then cook and add noodles just before serving.
- Helpful tools: A heavy-bottomed pot distributes heat evenly.
- Serve with: Crusty bread, oyster crackers, garlic bread, and/or a simple green veggie.
Serving Suggestions
This soup can stand alone for a simple meal or add an easy side or two to round things out:
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Frozen Broccoli
- Raw veggies and Greek Yogurt Dip
- Fresh fruit
- Bread or Garlic Bread
FAQs
We’re making this soup creamy in two different ways. First, we’re using a roux to help thicken the soup, but this also gives it a creamy texture. And then we’re finishing off the soup with some heavy cream – a little goes a long way, so it may not sound like a lot, but it’s enough to make the soup creamy.
I don’t love how pasta stored in a soup gets soggy, so I typically write soup recipes out to serve them together, but store them separately. This also makes it easy to adjust the amount of pasta each person wants. I might want less, and my kids may want more, so it’s a win for everyone.
If you plan ahead, you can use the roux method, but you can also simmer uncovered to help evaporate some of the liquid and thicken it naturally.
More Easy Soup Recipes
If you like this recipe for creamy chicken noodle soup, you might also like some of these other easy soup recipes:
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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