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This wholesome creamy chicken noodle soup is simple, warming comfort food! It has egg noodles, tender chicken, and an irresistible broth made with real cream.
I think that you’ll also enjoy my Easy Chicken Stew, Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, or Chicken Pot Pie Soup for more family favorites.
Why you’ll love it
True to S&L form, we’re using easy to find ingredients for this low-effort soup. There are few things more comforting than homemade chicken soup to chase away the chill, and it’s even better when it’s this simple to make. One lovely reader said “It’s the best chicken noodle soup I’ve ever tasted.” There ya go!
Everyone enjoys a piping hot bowl of classic Chicken Noodle Soup on a drizzly or chilly day. While it’s hard to improve upon, this creamy chicken noodle soup has done it. Cream is the velvety finishing touch for a special and more flavorful twist on the original, and it doesn’t feel like a heavy soup.
What you’ll need
- Celery, carrots, and onion – the classic base for soups collectively known as mirepoix. I like sweet (Vidalia) onions.
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Garlic – our tasty aromatic
- Flour – it’s the key to thickening up the broth
- Chicken broth – for savory depth of flavor
- Chicken – we’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Italian seasoning – this all-around tasty blend of dried herbs gives a lovely quality to this soup, and it comes in a single jar for convenience
- Heavy cream – it adds a silky richness
- Pasta – we are using traditional egg noodles
- Parsley – fresh chopped parsley provides that bright contrast to tie this soup together
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- A sturdy Le Creuset cast iron Dutch oven is a great investment for soups and stews.
- A pair of cooking tongs are really useful for handling the chicken.
- Use an instant read meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked through to 165F.
- Pick up a reliable ladle for all your soup needs!
How to make creamy chicken noodle soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Sauté the carrots, celery, and onion in a soup pot until softened, then add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add in the flour, cooking for a minute or so. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring until the flour has dissolved.
Add in the chicken along with the Italian seasoning and cream. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add in the noodles, and cook them al dente.
Once the chicken is cooked, take it out of the pot and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Return to the soup, give it a taste and season with salt & pepper, and add the chopped fresh parsley.
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend making substitutions for the cream unless you’re confident that it’ll work. This recipe has only been tested with cream. Something lower fat may curdle.
- If you have fresh herbs on hand, feel free to throw them in! Thyme or rosemary or any fresh herb blend designed for poultry would work well.
- You can use boneless/skinless chicken thighs if you like them better. They also are harder to overcook and stay more juicy. Rotisserie chicken is fine too, and you can add it in 5 minutes prior to the soup being done.
- Feel free to sub the egg noodles with another pasta that cooks in a similar amount of time.
What to serve with chicken noodle soup
- I like a slice of crusty bread for simple comfort, but I’ll never say no to Cheesy Garlic Bread either.
- You could also serve with crackers, or top with my Garlic Parmesan Croutons.
- A salad would be a great way to complement the meal. Try my zesty Homemade Ranch Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store any leftover soup in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If the soup at any point is too thick or not brothy enough for you, you can add more chicken broth or cream to it.
- Warm up in a saucepan for best results over a low heat until hot.
- I don’t recommend freezing this soup. The noodles really soak up the broth, and cream doesn’t freeze so well. It’s one of those soups that’s best eaten right away, in my opinion.
If you made this creamy chicken soup, leave a star rating and comment below! Ask any questions you might have as well. You can also find me on Instagram.
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 sticks celery chopped finely
- 2 medium carrots peeled & chopped finely
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1.5 pounds uncooked chicken breasts
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 generous cups uncooked egg noodles
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Sauté the celery, carrots, and onion with the butter & oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth and stir until the flour has dissolved. Add in the chicken, Italian seasoning, and cream. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a slight boil. Cover the pot with the lid slightly open.
- Reduce the heat so it's simmering gently. Let it cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the noodles and cover the pot again (lid slightly open) for a further 8-10 minutes. I like to stir it halfway just to ensure the noodles aren't sticking.
- Take the chicken out of the pot and cut it up, then add it back in again and season the soup with salt & pepper to taste, and stir in the fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This soup feeds 4-6 depending on portion size.
- It’s best eaten right away. The noodles will soak up the soup, so you may need to add a splash more chicken broth or cream when reheating.
- 1.5 pounds chicken breasts generally equals 2 larger ones or 3 smaller ones. You can use boneless/skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Chicken is safe to eat when it’s reached an internal temperature of 165F. Use an instant read thermometer to test for doneness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on March 10, 2020. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Can I use rice instead of egg noodle
Hi! You could add cooked rice instead. Or try my creamy chicken and rice soup: https://bit.ly/3tPS0K8
This soup was amazing! I made it gluten free so my husband could eat it. I used Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Fettuccine Noodles and King Arthur Gluten Free 1:1 All Purpose Flour. I will definitely be making this again and again!
Wonderful! Thank you, Maria!
Another amazing recipe!! So savory and flavorful. And so good with French bread. Yum!! It was delicious. Thank you!
You’re very welcome!! So glad you enjoyed this one. Thank you!! 😀
This recipe was so tasty. Thank you for making it so simple and easy. Next time I’m even pondering tossing in cut up canned biscuits instead of noodles and make it chicken dumplings. THANKS AGAIN!
You’re very welcome!! 😀
Hey Melissa,
Did you try it with biscuits? We are all a little under the weather this week and this recipe looks delicious. My kids love dumplings so I am debating tossing some in there for them, tonight!
I’ve made this 4 times in the past few weeks. It’s SO good. I had another similar recipe I used to make but this one is easier and even tastier. It’s been snowing here all day so this was perfect with some honey cornbread!
That’s awesome!! 😀 Thanks for letting me know. Now I’m craving honey cornbread…
Tried this soup today, only changed the flour for cornflour and cooked the noodles seperate as GF noodles dont hold well if they soak up too much liquid. Its now added to my families list of favorite GF inclusive dishes! Thank you.
That’s great! Thank you for letting me know! 😀
This is my go to recipe for chicken noodle soup. It’s so good.
Yay!! So happy to hear that, Aubrie! Thank you!
Yet another delicious recipe! Perfect for a rare snowy day in my new state 🌵. I had all the ingredients on hand but substituted in rotisserie chicken. Thank you once again and so glad I now “follow” your posts….they never fail 😋
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it!! 😀 You’re very welcome, and thank you for following along!
It’s sooo delicious thank you for sharing and very simple too!!! My husband was sick with a cold and it made him feel better. Thank you again!!!
You’re very welcome!! I’m glad it offered him a little comfort, Brittney! 😀
This soup sounds delicious. I really want to bring it to a soup party. Any chance it is crockpot friendly?
Hi Shari! I have not tested this one in the crockpot – sorry! You could probably adapt it, though. I’d do the searing steps on the stove and probably wait til it’s almost ready for serving before you add the noodles and cream so the noodles don’t puff up too much just sitting there. But as to exact timing, I am not sure.
so easy and delicious!! i only did 1 cup of cream and it was still plenty creamy
Glad you liked it!