When that cold, heavy weather rolls in and you just need a hug in a bowl, nothing beats an amazing bowl of soup. Forget those watery, thin versions you sometimes get out there—today, we are making the ultimate rich, homemade Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. I created this recipe on a cold, rainy afternoon when I needed something warm and comforting. The creamy broth and soft noodles made the whole house feel cozy — the kind of soup that instantly lifts your spirits.
This version is thick, loaded with veggies, and absolutely decadent, but it comes together faster than you might think. I’m Hanna Foster, and as an Adaptation Specialist at Recipes by Betty, I promise this method turns basic broth into something truly special.
Why This Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe Works
Honestly, I think this is the best soup I’ve ever made—and it’s so simple! It checks all the boxes you want when you’re craving true comfort food. You get that velvety texture without making a huge fuss.
- You cook the chicken right in the broth, which keeps it super tender.
- The butter and flour give you a rich, velvety base that coats everything perfectly.
- It’s on the table fast—less than 45 minutes total!
If you check out my recipe for roasted vegetable soup, you’ll see I love building deep flavor fast. This one is no different, but with that wonderful, creamy finish. For more easy comfort meals, check out my crockpot lemon chicken soup for another cozy night.
Essential Ingredients for Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
You don’t need a giant specialty shopping trip for this recipe, which is another reason I love it for a weeknight dash! Having the right foundation makes all the difference in getting that beautiful, rich flavor we are aiming for in a proper home-style Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. Trust me, the small details in how you chop matter!
The secret here really is using fresh ingredients where it counts. Before you start, make sure you have your chicken ready to go because once those veggies hit the heat, things move fast. If you’re wondering about salt choices, I’ve got some thoughts on that over here regarding kosher salt vs. sea salt, but standard salt works great for this soup!
Vegetables and Aromatics for Your Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
These aromatic veggies are the backdrop for our whole dish. Don’t skimp here! You need:
- 2 sticks of 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
Soup Base Ingredients for Perfect Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
This is where we build that signature richness. Pay close attention to that cream measurement—that’s what makes it so luxurious!
- 1/4 cup flour (our thickener!)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1.5 pounds chicken breasts, boneless skinless, uncooked
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 generous cups egg noodles, uncooked
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions for Your Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Okay, time to get cooking! Don’t be intimidated by the steps; we are just layering flavors here to create the best base for our easy Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. I always set out my ingredients first because once you start sautéing, you really need to keep things moving. I love getting the veggies going ASAP because knowing how to sauté your aromatics before the chicken really makes a difference in flavor depth!
This process ensures every spoonful of this amazing Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is perfect. If you usually wonder about your garlic timing, don’t worry, we cover that right away. For an entirely different way to make a creamy version, take a look at this great slow cooker creamy chicken noodle soup idea, but today we are using the stovetop!
Preparing the Aromatics and Roux for the Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
You’ll want to grab your biggest pot. Start by melting the butter with the oil over medium-high heat. Toss in your celery, carrots, and onion. Let those soften up nicely for about five to seven minutes—you want them tender! Right after that, throw in the garlic; be careful not to burn it, just cook it for 30 seconds until you can smell it. I always make sure not to overcook the garlic—you can read up on why not to brown your garlic here when adding it to sauces. Finally, whisk in your flour and cook it for one minute. That flour is crucial for making this the best Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup!
Simmering the Chicken and Building the Broth
Now things get soupy! Slowly pour in the chicken broth while you keep stirring—we need to dissolve that flour paste smooth. Add the Italian seasoning and your raw, uncooked chicken breasts right into the liquid. Increase the heat to get it bubbling nicely, then drop it down to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot mostly but leave a little crack for steam to escape. Let that simmer away for about 10 minutes while the chicken cooks through completely inside the broth.
Adding Noodles and Finishing the Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
After 10 minutes, it’s time for the heavy cream and those uncooked egg noodles. Remember to stir well when you add the noodles so nothing sinks and sticks to the bottom of your favorite pot. Cover it again and let it simmer for another eight to ten minutes until the noodles are soft. Once they’re done, pull the chicken out, shred it up—I use two forks—and pop it back in. Taste it and season exactly how you like it with salt, pepper, and that fresh parsley! That’s how you finish a fantastic pot of Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup.
Tips for the Best Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
To make sure your Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is absolutely spot-on, you have to pay attention to two things: the noodles and the creaminess. Remember how I mentioned the noodles keep soaking up liquid? That’s normal! If you’re saving leftovers, always assume you’ll need to splash in an extra tiny bit of broth or cream when reheating to get that perfect, loose consistency back. Don’t be afraid to add the cream right at the end, either, just to heat it through, not to boil it heavily.
When it comes to the chicken pasta soup base, I like to use slightly less liquid than usual because the cream really fills out the volume. If your soup feels too thin after the noodles are cooked, you can always make a tiny slurry of flour and cold water (maybe a teaspoon of each) and stir that in while it simmers for five minutes—it thickens right up! For more tips on handling chicken in soups, I wrote a whole guide on chicken pasta that covers all the bases.
Ingredient Substitutions for Your Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Don’t stress if you’re missing one ingredient or just prefer a different texture! This recipe is super flexible, which is why I love it. If you’re out of chicken breasts, feel free to swap in boneless, skinless chicken thighs—they add a little extra richness, honestly. You can even use leftover turkeymeat if you happen to have some after the holidays. If you’re looking for something different than egg noodles, you can try a short pasta, but be aware that the cooking time changes.
If you’re exploring other soup styles, like looking into turkey noodle soup recipes, the technique remains the same. Just remember that if you switch to something like rice noodle soup, you’ll definitely need to add those last minute so they don’t dissolve into your beautiful Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup!
Storing and Reheating Leftover Soup
This soup is made to be enjoyed right away, but if you have leftovers—lucky you!—storage is easy. Pop any remaining Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup into an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to three days. Now, here’s the most important part: the noodles.
As I mentioned in the notes, those yummy egg noodles are thirsty! Overnight, they soak up almost all the creamy broth, and it looks like you have chicken and noodles, not soup. Don’t worry about that; it doesn’t mean the soup went bad!
When you reheat it, just put the soup in a pot over medium heat and stir in an extra splash of chicken broth or some milk/cream until you get that perfect soupy consistency back. It warms up beautifully, maybe even tastes better the next day!
Frequently Asked Questions About This Comforting Soup
I always get so many great questions about this soup because everyone wants their perfect bowl of comfort! There are a few things that come up often, especially around timing and noodle choice. If you have even more questions after reading through everything, you can always find more tips in my main collection of noodle soup recipes.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
You absolutely can make parts of this ahead! I usually sauté the vegetables a day early and store them in the fridge. But if you put the whole thing together, including the noodles, and refrigerate it, you’re going to run into that soupy noodle problem—they absorb all the liquid. If you prep ahead, cook the noodles separately, store them in an airtight container, and only add the correct portion of noodles back into the soup base right before serving or reheating. That keeps the texture spot-on!
What if I want a thicker or thinner soup base?
Adjusting the texture of your Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is really simple, but you have to do it at the right time. If you want it thicker, you have two options: either simmer it uncovered for a bit longer, or make a small slurry by mixing a teaspoon of flour with a tablespoon of *cold* water, then stirring that mixture into the simmering soup until it thickens up. If it’s too thick—maybe after sitting in the fridge—just whisk in a little extra chicken broth or cream until it flows nicely again!
Can I use different noodles, like in a Chicken Ramen Noodle Recipes style?
Oh, that’s a fun idea! You certainly can swap out the egg noodles for something else, maybe making it more like a Chicken Pasta Soup variation. However, you have to watch that timing like a hawk! If you use ramen noodles, for instance—thinking of those faster-cooking Chicken Ramen Noodle Recipes—they take way less time than the egg noodles, maybe only 3 or 4 minutes. If you go with a totally different style, like a thick spaghetti or even rice noodles, you must adjust your cooking time right when you add them in Step 6 so they don’t turn mushy in that lovely creamy base!
Nutritional Estimates for This Recipe
Okay, so I know some of you are tracking macros or maybe just curious about what’s in this bowl of happiness! Remember, this is the kind of comforting food that fills you up, and it’s packed with protein from the chicken.
These numbers are just estimates, of course—they change depending on exactly how much cream you use or what brand of broth you grab. Think of this as a good baseline for your Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. For a full breakdown against common dietary goals, always check out the finer details over on my recipe disclaimer page!
- Calories: 396
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Protein: 28g
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Cholesterol: 143mg
- Sodium: 765mg
- Potassium: 725mg
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 2g
- Vitamin A: 4188 IU
- Vitamin C: 16mg
- Calcium: 62mg
- Iron: 1mg
It’s a really balanced meal when you break it down—great source of protein, wonderful vitamins from those carrots and celery, and just the right amount of fat to make it taste absolutely heavenly!
Share Your Experience Making This Soup
I absolutely live to hear from you when you try one of my favorite comfort dishes! Making this Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup should have filled your house with the best smells, and now I want to know how it tasted at your table.
Did it hit the spot on a cold night? Was the broth as rich and velvety as you hoped? Please, hop down to the comments below and leave me a star rating. Seriously, ratings help other people find this recipe when they need that perfect cozy bowl of soup!
And if you snapped a picture while you were slurping down that rich broth and tender chicken, please tag me on social media! Seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchens is the best part of my whole job. I check my messages daily, so if you have any quick feedback or secret tweaks you tried, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly over at my contact page!
Happy cooking, friends. I hope this soup brings you as much warmth and comfort as it brings me every time I stir that cream into the broth!
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Equipment
- Large soup pot
- Lid
Ingredients
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 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
Soup Base
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1.5 pounds chicken breasts boneless skinless, uncooked
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 generous cups egg noodles uncooked
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- to taste Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the celery, carrots, and onion with the butter and oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat for 5 to 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 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 simmers gently. Let it cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the noodles and cover the pot again (lid slightly open) for a further 8 to 10 minutes. Stir halfway through to prevent the noodles from sticking.
- Take the chicken out of the pot, cut it up, and add it back in. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the fresh parsley. Serve immediately.