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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!
Really excited to make this after reading the many great reviews! Just wanted to ask before I try Рis it okay to cut the recipe in half? My fianc̩e is not great about eating leftovers and we are going out of town soon, so trying to not have any waste. Thank you in advance!
Hi! Yes, that should work fine. 🙂 I hope you guys enjoy it!
Can I cook my chicken beforehand and add it in later?
Hi! Yes, but just to warm through so it doesn’t overcook. 🙂 Enjoy!
Yummy. I made some changes though. I used some leftover cooked chicken, broth, milk and some half n half. I didn’t have carrots. I sauteed some cauliflower with my onions and added some fresh chopped spinach at the end.
Glad it worked out, Elizabeth!
Thank you so much for this. I love how easy it is. Didn’t have egg noodles on hand so I went with thin spaghetti. Still delicious. One question…. My chicken came out pretty rubbery. Did I do something wrong?
Hi Leslie! I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor. I don’t think you did anything wrong! I think maybe next time you could use larger chicken breasts or reduce the cook time a bit if you found it overcooked. Using a meat thermometer can help (ensure you take them out of the pot by the time they reach 160F or so and they will reach 165F by the time you add them back in cut up). I also find occasionally even when I don’t overcook chicken it was just a bad batch and not as tender as I would have hoped. Another option is to stir in already cooked shredded rotisserie chicken right at the end (just to warm thru).
Excellent soup…perhaps go easy on the cream ( If you must )
So happy you enjoyed it, Jean!
After we ate my husband asked where I got the recipe, so I think it is a keeper! I love to make soups and this one will definitely be in the rotation.
I did follow the advice and made more broth for the reheating. Perfect!
Yay!! Glad to hear it, Judy!
Absolutely delicious! My whole family loved it and wanted seconds. I pretty much followed recipe entirely but when I doubled the recipe I did not use 3 pounds of chicken thighs, ilI used closer to 2. Will definitely be making this again.
That’s great! I’m so glad it was a hit, Carla!
Do you put in raw whole chicken breasts in the soup? Do these end up getting cooked fully?
Hi Sara! I recommend you read through the whole blog post. The step-by-step photos show the chicken being added in whole and uncooked. The chicken is being cooked for at least 18 minutes, so yes, it should be fully cooked. As with any recipe, cooking times are a guideline and if you happen to use particularly large chicken breasts, you may need to increase cooking time a bit. I also mention that if you’re ever unsure about chicken being fully cooked, use a meat thermometer and 165F is the safe temperature. Many readers have had success with this recipe, and I hope you enjoy it too! 🙂
I didn’t know chicken noodle soup could be so good!! Followed the recipe as is and we couldn’t help but eat the whole pot. Definitely making again this winter
I love that!! Thanks, Kaley! XO
This Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is the best recipe soup I’ve ever had. Easy to make, lots of flavor and my hubby and I almost ate the whole pot. This is definitely a keeper.
That’s so nice to hear, Dianna!! Thank you!! 😀