This is, by far, my favorite homemade chicken noodle soup recipe because it’s simply the perfect mix of easy, wholesome, and satisfying. It’s creamy yet light, and benefits from the addition of potato, thyme, oregano, and convenient pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. If you’re looking for an easy yet incredibly delicious homemade creamy chicken noodle soup recipe, just read some of the reviews below, then try it for yourself!
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added some new photos, a video tutorial, and a few more success tips.
This is one of those recipes I like to make a big double batch of on a cold, slow weekend in January, and freeze half for future busy weeknights. It’s also a great one to take to a friend or neighbor who’s in need of a comforting homemade meal. And it’s a perfect back to school recipe when schedules get very busy. It’s one of the most-made cozy winter dinner recipes on my site.
This creamy chicken noodle soup has only about 200 calories per 1 cup. The potato adds heartiness to the soup and, as it cooks, makes the soup even creamier. I’ve made this soup probably close to 100 times since I originally published the recipe. Trust me, don’t leave that potato out!
One reader, Melinda, commented: “I made this today and have to say that this is now our favorite homemade chicken noodle soup recipe, too! I followed the recipe exactly as written and hubby loved it. ★★★★★”
Another reader, DLand, commented: “I first made this as a dinner for a new mom and dad. It was so good I couldn’t wait to make it again to keep for my own dinner. Thank you for another wonderful recipe! ★★★★★”
And another reader, Paula, commented: “This soup was delicious, best chicken soup I have eaten. I added Italian seasoning since I did not have oregano or fresh thyme and it was perfect. ★★★★★”
Cozy up with a bowl of this soup, alongside a fresh salad and a warm slice of homemade artisan bread, for a meal that will leave you feeling satisfied, but not weighed down. If lightened-up comfort food is what you crave, be sure to try my creamy cauliflower potato soup and butternut squash mac and cheese, too!
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Light & Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Lightened up, yet still creamy and so satisfying
- Can be made on the stove or in a slow cooker
- 1-pot meal
- Using a cooked rotisserie chicken saves time
- So much more delicious than store-bought soup
- Make ahead of time and freeze
- Good way to use up leftover chicken
- Flavorful spices, herbs, and vegetables
- A reader-favorite from my list of 30 delicious fall dinner recipes
- Ultimate winter comfort food!
Best Ingredients to Use:
You need 1 big pot and a few staple ingredients. This is a forgiving recipe, so let’s review what can change if needed.
- Butter: Just a Tablespoon, to soften the vegetables.
- Vegetables: Onion, carrots, and celery form the mirepoix flavor base for this soup.
- Herbs/Flavors: Use a blend of garlic, dried or fresh thyme and oregano, fresh ground pepper, and salt. Feel free to use other herbs you enjoy instead, if desired.
- Flour or Cornstarch: Flour (or cornstarch) thickens the liquid, taking this soup from brothy to creamy. See recipe Note for that substitution.
- Chicken Broth: Or stock.
- Potato: 1 medium potato is the first magical ingredient in this recipe, because it cooks down and makes the soup SO creamy, hearty, and satisfying.
- Chicken: This recipe saves time because you can use pre-cooked chicken. You could also use leftover cooked turkey, like we do in this turkey pot pie! I usually pick up a small rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred it, and add it right into the soup. (I do the same for this BBQ chicken pizza—so easy!) Or you can boil/poach chicken breasts or roast them with a little garlic and thyme, let cool slightly (or refrigerate for a day or two), then shred or chop. If you have leftover chicken, you can also use it in recipes like my chicken quinoa salad or peanut chicken zucchini noodles.
- Milk or Half-and-Half: This is the other magical ingredient that turns your homemade chicken noodle soup into the creamiest soup ever. Use 1 cup of whole milk or 1 cup of half-and-half. If you want to make regular (non-creamy) chicken noodle soup, replace the milk with more chicken broth.
- Noodles: I prefer wide egg noodles in chicken soup, but you can use any type of dry pasta you like, or go noodle-less.
If you can find wide egg noodles, go ahead and use those in today’s soup. If you don’t have egg noodles, any dry pasta you like would work. Keep the noodles small enough to fit on a spoon, so break any large dry pasta before using if needed. A few readers have even used tortellini instead!
How Does the Soup Thicken Up?
Cooking down the onion, carrots, and celery is a key step in the recipe. After you cook them down, add flour and your herbs. The flour will absorb the liquid from the softening vegetables, and create a nice thick base for the soup. This is exactly how we start biscuit vegetable pot pie, too.
Whole milk or half-and-half also thicken up the soup. I’ve even made it with half the amount (1/2 cup or 120ml) heavy cream in a pinch. (Add more chicken broth if you use heavy cream; see recipe Note.)
Nice and thick, without being too heavy.
After the vegetable mixture cooks and you add the flour and seasonings (above), you’ll add the broth and potato. Boil, and then simmer on the stove before adding the milk/half-and-half, chicken, and noodles. Finish cooking. It’s all very simple.
*Slow cooker instructions in the recipe Notes below!*
Can I Skip the Noodles or Use Rice Instead?
Yes. Feel free to skip the noodles entirely with no other changes to the recipe. Or you can use 1 cup of uncooked rice instead. Add it when you would add the noodles.
This Soup Satisfies. Period.
One bowl of this light & creamy chicken noodle soup will leave you feeling satisfied for hours, without feeling weighed down. This is the meal that keeps on giving because if you have a smaller family, there will be plenty of leftover soup to enjoy during the week. Serve in homemade bread bowls or alongside a batch of deliciously soft dinner rolls, sweet potato dinner rolls, or brown butter sage dinner rolls, or a loaf of crusty artisan bread, ciabatta bread, or asiago-crusted skillet bread.
I calculated the nutrition details using the SparkRecipes calculator app, and a 1-cup serving of this creamy chicken noodle soup, when using whole milk, is only 203 calories, with 20 grams of protein. Creamy, yet light… best soup ever!
Print
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: about 12 cups
- Category: Soup
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This creamy chicken noodle soup is creamy yet light, and benefits from the addition of potato, flavorful thyme and oregano, and convenient pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. You can make it on the stove or slow cooker (see Note for slow cooker instructions).
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (100g) chopped yellow onion (1/2 of a large onion)
- 1 cup (120g) sliced or diced carrots (1–2 large carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
- 1 cup (120g) sliced or diced celery (2–3 stalks)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons fresh)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
- 8 cups (1.92 liters) chicken broth (I recommend reduced sodium)
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced (around 1 and 1/2 cups or 280g)
- 2 cups (about 250g) shredded or chopped cooked chicken
- 1 cup (240ml) half-and-half or whole milk
- 3–4 cups (about 112-150g) uncooked wide egg noodles (or other dry pasta, see note first)
- optional for garnish: fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot or dutch oven (4-quart or larger) over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano and cook for 2 minutes.
- Next, add the chicken broth and potato. Give everything a quick stir, then increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the soup to a boil, without stirring, and boil for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and allow to simmer for 25 minutes or until the potatoes have softened. Taste the soup, and add more seasonings to taste, if desired.
- Add the chicken, half-and-half/milk, and noodles. Cook for 10 minutes until the noodles are tender and the soup has thickened. Once again, taste the soup and add more seasoning as desired. Serve warm.
- Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To reheat, simply pour into a pot over medium heat and cook until warm. Feel free to add more chicken broth to the leftovers if it’s too thick. (Soup thickens in the refrigerator as the noodles and potatoes soak up the liquid.)
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze soup for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before eating, and then reheat on the stove until warm.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Dutch Oven (4-quart or larger, like this Le Creuset Dutch Oven or Lodge Dutch Oven)
- Slow Cooker Instructions: Prepare the soup through step 1 on the stovetop. Transfer to a slow cooker (affiliate link) and add the chicken broth and potato. Allow to cook for 2 hours on low, then add the chicken, half-and-half/milk, and noodles. Cook on low for 1 more hour.
- Flavor Tip: During the last few minutes of cook time, try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon. It’s so good!
- Flour: Instead of 1/4 cup of flour, you can use 2 Tablespoons (16g) cornstarch.
- Herbs: I love this soup with oregano and thyme. Or you can use 1 and 1/2–2 teaspoons pre-made Italian seasoning (found in the spice aisle).
- Broth: I use low sodium chicken broth. If you are using regular broth, start with only 1/4 teaspoon of salt. As the soup finishes up, taste and add more salt if desired.
- Chicken: I recommend using rotisserie chicken, and you can use either white or dark meat. Or you can roast some chicken breasts yourself. Rub with a little minced garlic and dried thyme, roast in the oven under tender, then shred or chop it. You can also boil 2 large chicken breasts until cooked through, then shred/chop and use in this recipe.
- Whole Milk/Half-and-Half: Either works wonderfully in this recipe. Avoid lower-fat milks, and if you need a nondairy milk suggestion, I recommend plain oat milk. Plain almond milk would be the second best option for nondairy. Keep in mind that the soup won’t be as creamy. You could use 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream instead. If using 1/2 cup of heavy cream, add another 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the recipe.
- Best Noodles to Use: I prefer wide egg noodles in chicken soup, but any homestyle egg noodles work. You can use other dry pasta too, such as elbow macaroni or fettuccine (break up to fit on soup spoon). If using a smaller pasta, reduce amount to 2-3 cups. A few readers have even used tortellini! Or you can use 1 cup of uncooked rice instead. Add it when you would add the noodles.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made this tonight just as written but when it was done I sprinkled a little 4 cheese blend (asiago, fontina, parmesan and provolone) on top. It was outstandingly delicious. Thanks so much!
I made this with some minced ginger added at the same time as the garlic and it’s a delicious and comforting meal. The broth ends up perfectly seasoned at the end.
I made a half batch and skipped the potato, but otherwise made it just as per the recipe. It was wonderful. Simple and satisfying with delicious flavor. Thanks for another winner! I’ll definitely be making this again.
Simple and lovely
Making a Double batch today! It was delicious the first time I made it! I’m a “Sally” girl as I call it I’m made several of your recipes and they never disappoint!
Thank you so much for making our recipes, Shelli!
I have a noodle question… if I make my own noodles and want to freeze them, would I leave dough in a ball or roll out cut and dry and put in a bag or storage container?
Hello! This recipe looks amazing (just like ALL of Sally’s recipes)! I am wondering if the noodles get too soggy if you freeze and reheat?
Hi Tracie, we’ve found that the egg noodles don’t get too soggy, but you could cook them fresh and add them to thawed soup, if you prefer!
This recipe was a hit with my family and I! I chose to make it without the milk and it was tasty and delicious! I highly recommend this recipe! It will be my go-to always.
This soup was so delicious and hearty! It will be my go-to recipe going forward.
Best ever
This recipe was so good!
The only thing I did different which was on accident because I wasn’t paying attention was I cooked the noodles separately and then added them once everything was cooked.
Once we had our fill of this I made the rest into a chicken pot pie. Two different meals one recipe yea please and thank you 🙂
I’ve recently discovered fat free evaporated milk. Would that work as a substitute for the half-and-half/whole milk?
Hi Ginger, I wish we could help, but we have not tested this recipe with fat-free evaporated milk, so are unsure of the results.
I have used evaporated milk in place of various creams or higher fat milk and it works perfectly! Gives the thickness you want from a cream with a fraction of the fat.
Excellent so easy so yummy !❤️
I made this for my daughter in law as she was sick with pneumonia. She absolutely loved it! I added heavy whipping cream instead of half and half. That is as the only thing I changed. It was so delicious! Will make this again. Thank you!!
I loved this! Just my hubby & I so made it smaller but otherwise exactly the same. Enough for another meal.
Awesome recipe! This soup was delicious! I added mushrooms just because I needed to use them but I think they really added to the flavor. I only use almond milk so I was worried it might not thicken up but it was perfect! I will definitely make it again. And again! lol
This has been my go-to chicken noodle soup recipe this past year!! My husband has been feeling under the weather the last couple of days so I knew it was ‘Tis the season to make this!
There are only 2 things I did differently – first being the chicken broth, I use the Better Than Bouillon to make broth. The second thing is instead of 25 minutes, I only simmer the veggies in the broth for 15 minutes, otherwise I find that the potatoes become overly mushy.
I used the Panera Bread bowls, tearing them apart to dip in the soup and OMG, it’s truly the best chicken noodle soup and of my family has had!! Thank you so much for this recipe, it’s amazingly delicious!
We’re so glad you love this, Amber!
Great soup didn’t have milk or cream through in a can of cream of chicken soup then Amish noodles and chicken mmmmmm
This recipe was SO good! Perfect creaminess and full of flavor. I served ours in bread bowls. Will make this regularly for the chilly months, best soup I’ve made in a long time! Thank you Sally!
I got the greatest compliment with this recipe! My boyfriend said I somehow beat his favorite chicken noodle soup from The Chick-fil-A! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Thanks for the recipe!
This soup turned out great. I made a couple tweaks: I left out the potatoes and made thick home made egg noodles, and I cut back a bit on the oregano. This makes a very cozy soup. It’s a delight to eat, especially if the weather is cold or you’re not feeling so great. My daughter likes it, too.
My son & I made this soup recipe together. He’s a chef and let me tell you…he and I both loved it!! We made it on the stove. Everything came out perfect. He diced the potato’s very small. They held together and were the perfect consistency. We doubled the recipe and I’m so glad we did. Warhawk you Sally!!
This is one of our favorites, too, Nate’s Mom! Thanks for giving it a try!
Lovely soup. I did add parsnip and turnip in addition to other veggies. I would cut back on the thyme and oregano from what the recipe calls for though. They are too dominant.
I plan to make this soup tomorrow and am so excited! I love the ingredients and using half-in-half and a potato! Thank you so much.
I can’t believe how much I love this recipe!!!! I plan on making this a lot in the future. Thank you Sally!!!
I’m really confused by this recipe, and made it off of the high reviews. I tried it in the crock pot and the times were completely off. Potatoes were still hard after two hours and the egg noodles were gelatinous by that point. I added more and same thing happened, because the potatoes were still under done. In my opinion, the potatoes need to go in with the rest of the veggies after being sautéed. I might try this recipe again on the stove top to see if the quality changes. Overall, not pleased at all.
Hi Shelby, I’m sorry you were disappointed with this soup recipe. Let me take a look at how I presented these slow cooker instructions and reference my own notes. Thank you for the feedback.
I had the same problem. I wonder if I could cook the noodles separately and then add in at the end.
This was awesome. Wish I could share the picture of result. Drizzling here today and perfect meal for the cool weather.
We have enjoyed this soup. I made it with leftover turkey and turkey broth. (Canadian Thanksgiving turkey). Lovely, for my husband and me, two lunches and my neighbour.
Hi Michèle, So glad this turned out well for you!
This was by far THE BEST chicken noodle soup I have made. So yummy and creamy. Chicken soup for the soul. Comfort food.
I’ve just made turkey bone broth (Canadian Thanksgiving leftovers). Can I use it instead of chicken broth, maybe dilute with a bit of water? And I only have skim milk, so will try almond milk.
It has rained all day and luckily, I put your creamy chicken soup on the menu!
I had to make a couple changes. Egg noodles aren’t a thing here, so I used rice. I am allergic to celery. In a cooked dish, I substitute fennel. Both changes were delicious!!