Sometimes I want my dinner to give me a hug without asking questions. That’s when I make a pot of healthy Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup.
And sometimes I need my dinner to be ridiculously easy and ready in less than 45 minutes from now.
That’s also when I make this thick, creamy chicken noodle soup.
This recipe embraces without explanation.
It won’t ask questions, and the only problem it will try to solve is what to make for dinner tonight.
I first made this recipe for creamy chicken noodle soup while being dominated by the worst stomach bug I’ve had in years.
Nothing tasted appealing to me, and the last thing my body was prepared to tolerate was standing at the stove for a sustained interval.
Perhaps you’ve been there too.
This easy creamy chicken noodle soup recipe saved the day (as my Chicken Stew often does).
5 Star Review
“This was perfect. My family devoured it and said they definitely want it again.”
— Marie —
How to Make Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup from Scratch
The ironic thing about chicken noodle soup is that the time when you most need it—when you are sick, weak, and generally feel as if the world is rejecting you—is also the time when you’re least equipped to cook for yourself.
Fortunately, this easy chicken noodle recipe requires only about 10 minutes of sustained effort.
- Once the veggies are chopped, the rest of the recipe consists of throwing things into the pot and sitting immobile as they simmer.
- Rather than fuss with a making a cream sauce, the method used to thicken most creamy chicken soup recipes, I simply stirred in a can of evaporated milk during the last 10 minutes of cooking. I use the same method in my Chicken Gnocchi Soup too!
Evaporated milk thickens the chicken noodle soup, keeps the prep minimal, and limits the dishes to a single pot.
Plus, it makes this skinny creamy chicken noodle soup lean, mean, and New Year’s resolution-friendly.
Tip!
Want easy prep AND hands-off cooking time? Check out my Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup and Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.
The Ingredients
- Chicken. Tender, shredded chicken breast gives this soup its classic taste. Rich in lean protein, the chicken also makes the soup more satisfying. I have a wide variety of easy chicken cooking methods below, or you can purchase a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
Tip!
Cut this recipe time even further by swapping in precooked chicken, made with one of these easy methods (or even store bought rotisserie chicken):
- Egg Noodles. I stuck with tradition for this recipe and made this a creamy chicken soup with egg noodles. I love using egg noodles here because they take on the flavor of the soup but don’t get mushy. Opt for whole wheat noodles for extra fiber and nutrition.
- Mirepoix. Celery, carrots, onion, and garlic make up the mirepoix mixture for this recipe. These simple ingredients make classic chicken noodle soup taste like, well, chicken noodle soup! They also boost soup’s nutrition content.
- Chicken Broth. The flavorful liquid base for this creamy soup.
- Flour + Evaporated Milk. The answer for those of us thick soup-lovers who are wondering, “how do you thicken up chicken noodle soup?” All-purpose flour and evaporated milk is how I make my soup thick and creamy. The combination creates a delicious consistency and rich flavor, and it’s super easy to do.
- Spices. Salt, pepper, and oregano elevate the overall flavor of the soup without distracting from the other ingredients.
Creamy Chicken Soup Toppings
While you can certainly keep this soup classic and enjoy it as it is, I love using toppings to create a southern style creamy chicken noodle soup: add cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, and pepper jack cheese.
Or, for more traditional toppings, use chopped fresh parsley and enjoy with simple crackers.
The Directions
- Sauté the carrots, celery, and onion. Add the garlic. Stir in the flour.
- Add the broth, then bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken, noodles, and remaining ingredients. Cook for 10 minutes. Add desired toppings and ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate soup in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a large pot on the stovetop over medium-low to medium heat or in the microwave in large bowl.
- To Freeze. Freeze soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal Prep Tip
Up to 1 day in advance, 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
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Dutch Oven. Perfect for prepping this easy chicken noodle soup.
- Extra Large Cutting Board. The extra space is wonderful for recipes like this one.
- Ladle. My favorite way to serve soups and stews.
My Go-To Dutch Oven
With an endless amount of uses and high-quality design, this Dutch oven is worthy of the investment. It will last a lifetime!
The only thing you really need for this easy creamy chicken noodle soup is a spoon.
Make it a big spoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
For gluten free chicken noodle soup, swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free flour like this one and make sure your egg noodles are gluten free. Be sure to watch the cooking time as gluten free noodles may cook more quickly than regular noodles.
For ultra decadent soup, you could try making this into a creamy chicken noodle soup with cream cheese. While I haven’t tested it myself, I think it would turn out fine and would make the soup SUPER rich and creamy. Let the cream cheese come to room temperature and dice it into small pieces before adding it so that it melts evenly.
Yes, you can swap cooked, shredded chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts for this creamy chicken noodle soup.
Typically you will see some soups thickened with a roux or using heavy cream. Roux is where you melt butter, whisk in flour, and add milk. This adds more steps and calories, so I do not recommend it for this soup.
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Video
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Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken*
- 2 1/2 cups uncooked egg dumpling noodles
- 1 can evaporated skim milk (12 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Crushed tortilla chips, or shredded pepper jack cheese, and cilantro, optional for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Sauté the carrots, celery, and onion until beginning to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 1 minute, stirring continually.
- Slowly stir in the broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken, noodles, evaporated milk, salt, oregano, and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook the soup for 10 minutes, until the noodles are al dente.
- Serve warm, garnished with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and cilantro.
Notes
- *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 Breast.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate soup in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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The blue chips definitely taste better than the yellow ones! This soup looks wonderful!
Gak!!! Sorry about the stomach bug. Really sorry. Great soup. Love the noodles that were chose and the blue chips for something different. I never tire of this flavor of soup.
That looks really really good! Those photos, goodness, I just want to grab a spoon and dive right in!
Love your version of chicken noodle! It is so cold here right now, I am practically hibernating and totally in need of comforting food like this :)
This chicken soup looks great and super comforting! I could use a big bowl of this right now!!
Dear Erin, I hope you are feeling good.
I think this soup sounds like a perfect pick-me-up. I like the added tortilla chips on top and the cheese too. The creaminess adds a bit of richness to the soup as well. Great soup!
xo Catherine
I made this on Tuesday thinking it would be enough to eat and have for the freezer. My kids loved it so much that they all had seconds, including my 4 year old who was eating dinner for the second time after spending the evening with his grandfather. My husband didn’t get to eat at all (he works nights in the ICU ) and he is begging me to make it again so he can try the soup the kids keep telling him about! Great recipe! Looking forward to the time you put together a cookbook! For now, I have the recipes in page protectors in a binder!
Hayden, I’m so happy to hear that your entire family loved this!! It makes my day :) Thanks so much for letting me know, and I hope you enjoy the second batch just as much!
Any chance this can be done in a crockpot??
Hi Emily, this is really meant to be a quick heat it up on the stove type of recipe, but I think that with some experimentation you could make it in the crockpot, though I haven’t tested it this way. My best suggestion is to complete the recipe through step 1 on the stove, and then transfer it to the crockpot, add the ingredients in step 2, and cook until the noodles are done, which usually takes around 30 minutes in the crockpot. Basically you would be doing everything on the stove then just transferring it to the crockpot to cook the noodles and stay warm. It wouldn’t really save much effort, but if you’re looking to keep it warm for a while without having the stove on, that may work. (You also might be interested in this crockpot Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup!)
Thank you so much! The Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is the perfect substitute!
This is such a yummy and easy chicken noodle soup! I love the smoothness of it thanks to the evaporated milk! I actually had to leave the chicken out because I didn’t have any thawed and I wanted to make this immediately when I read it. I added a can of cannellini beans to give it some protein and it’s pretty good. I’d imagine next time when I use chicken it’ll be even better! Thanks for another great recipe!
Jess, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup! Thanks for sharing this great review!
Quick easy and deliciously creamy! Love the cilantro on top, never thought of that before with chicken noodle!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Kristin! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
So yummy! So approachable and so delicious. I made this when 3/4 of my household (including me!) were sick, and Erin was right — most of the cook time was the soup self-simmering on the stove while I recuperated on the couch!
Easy to make gluten free with cup-for-cup g-free flour and g-free noodles.
This is the first well-plates recipe I’ve tried, and it was so do-able and so delicious, I can’t wait to try more!
Hi Betsy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was perfect. My family devoured it and said they definitely want it again. Thank you!
Hi Marie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
So easy and so good! I used the pre chopped Mirepoix from Trader Joe’s to make it really quick!
Hi Angela! So glad you enjoyed the soup! Thank you for this kind review!
This was really good, and even better reheated the next day. The next time I make it, I plan to try swapping out dill for the oregano.
Hi Laura! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
We love this soup. It is so full of taste and it is lighter because of the evaported skim milk instead of a cream alternative. The soup is on our regular rotation! I have not used egg noodles. Instead I opt to make a batch of fresh spaetzle and then add the noodles to the hot soup when ready to serve. (Then I freeze the extra spaetzle and use the next time I make this soup). I have enough soup to freeze for 2 more meals and I personally dislike putting noodles in a soup which will be frozen, I prefer to add the noodle component fresh! Delicious, 5 stars!
Hi! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
could I sub Coconut milk for evaporated milk to make dairy free?
Hi Gigi1956! I’ve only tested this recipe as is, but doing a quick Google search it seems like you could. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!