When you need a hug at dinner, no questions asked, just make a pot Creamy chicken soup with noodles. Healthier, thanks to evaporated skim milk, and topped with some Southwestern flair, you can add this to your list of easy, soul-boosting chicken soup recipes.
Whether I’m feeling a little groggy or having a hectic workweek, a recipe that’s ridiculously easy and can be ready in under 45 minutes is a win in my book.
While soup recipes certainly hit the spot on cold days, chicken soups in particular have an intrinsically nutritious quality.
Whether they’re lighter and lighter like Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup or thick and rich like Chicken Stew or Chicken and Gnocchi Soup, they’re comforting in a special way.
This abbreviated chicken noodle soup is just what you need when you’ve had a long day, have a cold or flu and want your chicken soup to feel better, or when it’s 6pm and you’re starving.
Thanks to delicious toppings, it is also particularly child-friendly.
5 star rating
“That was perfect. My family devoured it and said they definitely want it back.”
— Marie —
About this quick, creamy chicken noodle soup
Enter the BEST creamy chicken noodle soup with a variety of healthy, time-saving ingredients:
- Leftover shredded chicken or cooked roast chicken significantly reduces both cooking and prep time often associated with old-fashioned recipes. This shredded chicken recipe is my favorite way to make it.
- Evaporated skim milk adds extra richness to her soul-satisfying bowl of comfort without the fat and calories of heavy cream.
- Southwest toppings like pepper jack cheese, chopped cilantro, and shredded tortilla chips add a twist to this classic sick day soup. (This White Chicken Chili is another soup with a little Southern flair.)
How to make creamy chicken noodle soup from scratch
The ironic thing about chicken noodle soup is that when you need it most — when you’re sick or drained from a busy work week — you’re also the least equipped to cook it.
Luckily, this easy chicken pasta recipe only requires about 10 minutes of sustained effort.
Once the veggies are chopped, the rest of the recipe consists of tossing things into the pot and sitting motionless while they simmer.
The ingredients
- Chicken. Tender, shredded chicken breasts give this soup its classic flavor. The chicken is high in lean protein and also makes the soup more filling.
Top!
Cut that recipe time even further by swapping in pre-cooked chicken prepared using one of these easy methods (or even store-bought rotisserie chicken):
- Mirepoix. Just like in the turkey soup, celery, carrots, onions, and garlic make up the mirepoix mixture for this recipe. These simple ingredients make classic chicken noodle soup taste like chicken noodle soup!
TOP!
Want to make this recipe even easier? Scan your supermarket’s prepared produce aisle for a container of pre-chopped Mirepoix vegetables. It’s usually more expensive than hacking yourself, but if you’re super busy or feeling like trash, it may be worth it.
- chicken soup. The flavorful liquid base for this creamy soup. You can also try making this soup with immune-boosting bone broth for additional nutritional benefits.
- egg noodles. Call me a traditionalist, but when I’m sick nothing sounds better than creamy chicken soup with egg noodles.
- Flour + condensed milk. All-purpose flour and evaporated milk are an easy way to thicken chicken noodle soup. These two make the soup thick and creamy without the cholesterol or saturated fats of heavy cream (You’ll see the same trick used in this Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup).
- Spices + Herbs. Salt, pepper, and oregano bring out the overall flavor of the soup without distracting from the other ingredients.
toppings ideas
While you can certainly keep this soup classic and enjoy it as is, I like to use toppings to make one Creamy southern-style chicken noodle soup: Add cilantro, shredded tortilla chips, and pepper jack cheese.
Or, for more traditional toppings, garnish with fresh herbs like thyme, parsley or dill and top with your favorite soup crackers.
The directions
- Fry the mirepoix in a large Dutch oven. Add the garlic. stir in flour.
- Add the low-sodium chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken, pasta, and remaining ingredients. Boil 10 minutes. Add desired toppings and ENJOY!
storage tips
- To store. Refrigerate Creamy Chicken Soup in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To warm up. Reheat leftovers in a large saucepan on the stovetop over medium-medium heat or in the microwave in a large bowl.
- Freeze. Freeze the soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal prep tip
Up to 1 day ahead, cook and shred the chicken and chop the mirepoix ingredients (carrots, celery, and onion). Refrigerate each separately in airtight storage containers.
What to serve with creamy chicken noodle soup
While this creamy chicken soup is a filling one-pot dish that can be enjoyed on its own, it can also be paired with a variety of tasty side dishes.
Recommended tools to make this recipe
My favorite Dutch Oven
With endless uses and quality design, this Dutch Oven is worth investing in. It lasts a lifetime!
I’m sending you a big spoonful of comfort in the form of this Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup.
frequently asked Questions
For a gluten-free chicken noodle soup, replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour like this and make sure your egg noodles are gluten-free. Be sure to pay attention to the cooking time, as gluten-free pasta may cook faster than regular pasta. You could also play around with skipping the noodles and make a creamy chicken noodle soup with potatoes instead.
For an ultra-decadent soup, you could try making it into a creamy cream cheese chicken noodle soup if you don’t have condensed milk on hand. While I didn’t test it myself, I think it would turn out great and make the soup SUPER rich and creamy. Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature and cut into small cubes before adding so it melts evenly.
Absolutely, you can swap cooked, shredded chicken thighs for this creamy chicken noodle soup instead of chicken breasts. Or use bite-sized sautéed chicken pieces.
Typically, you’ll see some soups thickened with roux, cornstarch, or heavy cream. Roux is where you melt butter, stir in flour, and add milk. This soup uses flour and condensed milk as thickeners.
Creamy chicken noodle soup video
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- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 celery sticks rolled
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1/3 Cup all purpose flour
- 8th cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups cooked chicken*
- 2 1/2 cups uncooked egg dumpling noodles
- 12 ounces evaporated skim milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- shredded tortilla chips, or grated pepper jack cheese and cilantro, optional for serving
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Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté the carrots, celery, and onion until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
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Slowly stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, half covered, for 10 minutes.
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Add the chicken, pasta, condensed milk, salt, oregano, and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook the soup for 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente.
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Serve warm and garnish with shredded tortilla chips, shredded cheese and cilantro.
- *INGREDIENTS NOTE: To cook the chicken in the Instant Pot instead, see this post for Instant Pot Chicken. To cook the chicken in the oven, see this post for baked chicken breasts.
- TO STORE: Store soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO WARM UP: Reheat leftovers in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-high heat or in the microwave.
- FREEZE: Freeze soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Portion: 1(of 8)Calories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 23GProtein: 28GFat: 4GSaturated Fatty Acids: 1GCholesterol: 48mgFiber: 2GSugar: 8thG
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