Creamy and Delicious Chicken Noodle Soup — The Best Recipe You’ll Ever Try
When the weather turns chilly and the family wants comfort food, this creamy chicken noodle soup delivers. It’s hearty, cozy, and simple enough to become a regular in your meal rotation.
This recipe evokes the warm flavors of homemade chicken noodle soup with an extra creamy finish. It’s perfect when you’re craving something soothing or when someone in the household needs a comforting bowl of soup.
You can make this soup in under an hour, and there are easy shortcuts: use a rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken. Toss the ingredients into a pot and let the flavors meld.
Cream cheese and heavy cream give this soup a luxuriously smooth texture. The result is a rich, family-friendly soup that will be requested all season long.
What you’ll need
Large saucepan or Dutch oven, whisk, shredded chicken (rotisserie or leftovers), carrots, celery, onion, chicken broth, butter (or olive oil), bay leaf, garlic powder, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cream cheese, heavy cream, and your preferred pasta.
Which chicken should I use?
Any cooked chicken works: leftover chicken, slow-cooker chicken, or a store-bought rotisserie bird. Shred or dice before adding to the soup.
What pasta can I use?
Use dumpling pasta, bowtie, ditalini, elbow, or short broken spaghetti—whatever your family prefers.
Can I make this ahead or freeze it?
Yes. Let the soup cool completely before placing it in freezer-safe containers. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Store in the fridge up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheated soup may need an extra cup or two of chicken broth if you’d like a thinner consistency.
Can I use olive oil instead of butter?
Yes—you can sauté the vegetables in olive oil for a lighter option.
What other vegetables work well?
Add what you like: spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, or peas all work nicely. Feel free to omit or adjust seasonings to suit family tastes.
Can I substitute milk for heavy cream?
Heavy cream gives the soup its rich, silky texture. Milk will thin the soup and won’t provide the same creaminess, so heavy cream is recommended.
Keep the soup simple for children or garnish for adults with fresh herbs, chili flakes, shredded cheese, or fried onion crisps. Serve with sliced bread, butter, biscuits, or croissants for a complete meal.
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Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
Serving Size: 1 bowl
Yields: 10 cups
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 1/2 cup carrots, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup white onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
- 7 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon parsley (fresh or dried)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups pasta (dumpling or short pasta)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, sauté the carrots, celery, and onion in butter (or olive oil) until tender, about 8–10 minutes.
- Lower heat to medium and add the chicken broth, bay leaf, garlic powder, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Stir in the cream cheese and heavy cream until smooth, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the pasta, cover, and cook until the pasta is tender (about 8–10 minutes depending on pasta type).
- Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the shredded chicken and heat through.
- Remove the bay leaf, adjust seasoning if needed, reduce heat to low, and serve warm. Enjoy!