Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Creamy chicken noodle soup is packed full of shredded chicken, carrots, celery, onion and egg noodles, with a creamy broth. Its perfectly hearty and comforting!

We are just about to enter soup season as the weather starts to cool down. We’ve had cooler weather for a couple weeks here in Utah with some days feeling like fall already and I am here for it! I love a bowl of warm soup on a cold day, it’s the perfect comfort food.

This creamy chicken noodle soup is such a great twist on traditional chicken noodle soup. It has the same delicious vegetables, noodles, and chicken – but has some flour and dairy added to make it nice and creamy and thick!

It’s all cooked in one big pot, which is the best way to save on cleaning up time. And its ready in just about 45 minutes, so its perfect for a weeknight dinner.

This creamy soup is bound to be loved by your whole family, and is so good served with some dinner rolls, or some fresh made bread!

Ingredients Needed:

This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.

• olive oil – just a little to soften the veggies
• chopped carrots, chopped celery, and chopped yellow onion – these three form the mirepoix for the perfect foundation for this soup
• minced garlic – to add a boost of flavor
• all purpose flour – this is the main thickening agent for the soup, taking it up a notch from a tradtional chicken noodle soup
• chicken broth or chicken stock
• bay leaves – deepen the flavors in the soup
• salt and pepper – add these to taste,
• chicken breasts or boneless and skinless chicken thighs – save time and use pre-cooked chicken, or add your chicken straight to the pot to cook it. Make sure it cooks to 165 F to remove any harmful bacteria.
• wide egg noodles – I love egg noodles for the classic chicken noodle soup noodle, but you can use any dry pasta
• heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk – this is the other ingredient needed to thicken the soup and make it nice and creamy. Use cream for a thicker soup, or whole milk for a creamy but less creamy soup. Don’t use lower fat milks.

How to make Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup?

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the chopped carrots, celery, and onion. Saute the vegetables for a few minutes until they start to get tender. Add in the garlic and cook it for an additional minute until toasted and fragrant.
2. Add in the flour and stir it around to coat the veggies.
3. Add in the chicken broth, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Add in the chicken, lower the temperature to cook until the chicken is cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 F. Remove the chicken and let it rest for a few minutes, then shred it with two forks.
5. Add the noodles to the soup and let them cook in the simmering liquid until they are done, and cooked al dente.
6. Return the chicken to the soup, stir in the milk and stir everything together. Serve warm with rolls or crackers.

Tips and Tricks:

• Discard the bay leaf after cooking the soup, and before ladling in to serve.
• Top each bowl with a garnish of fresh parsley, for a burst of color and fresh flavor.

Substitution Ideas:

• To add a little more flavor, you can sauté the vegetables in butter instead of olive oil.
• If you don’t like to cook the chicken in the soup, or have leftover chicken this is a great way to make this soup even easier. Add in some shredded, or diced cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken, etc and you can save a step.
• To make this soup even creamier, use heavy cream instead of milk for the dairy at the end. Make sure to not let the soup boil once the cream is added to avoid curdling.
• Make the soup vegetarian by skipping the chicken and using vegetable broth instead. Add in tofu, or additional vegetables to make the soup heartier. Some other vegetables that would be great are peas, corn, or green beans and they can be added the last few minutes if using canned or frozen options.
• For a boost of nutrition add some spinach or kale to the soup the last minute or two of cooking.
• Use your favorite pasta noodle if you don’t like egg-noodles. Penne, fusilli, macaroni, etc. will work great.

Storage Instructions:

Let the soup cool to room temperature then transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the soup at a medium low temperature on the stove top to preserve the creaminess and keep the noodles from getting too soft.

This soup is best not frozen because the noodles will get mushy when reheated.

This creamy chicken soup is such a great option on a cold day. It’s one of my favorite soups loaded with tender chicken and vegetables, and noodles in a comforting creamy broth. It’ll quickly become a family favorite!

Looking for more Soup Recipes:

• Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Autumn Soup
• Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

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This creamy chicken noodle soup was first posted on February 4, 2016. The photos and blog text were updated for clarity on September 1, 2023.