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
Well written instructions and easy to follow. The soup is delicious! I added calabacita since I was also making a caldo de pollo. This creamy chicken soup was a hit two days ago. . I am making it again today. Thank you!!
OMG!! I cooked this tonight. My husband and I said this was the best soup we had ever had! Thank you for the recipe!
Great recipe, I did this with tortellini…I also added 2Tbs of better than bouillon and some fresh spinach I had to use up…oh, and I didn’t have half and half so I used sour cream
I love to cook and I love this recipe… Just tasted the broth, without the chicken or milk or noodles and it is perfect! I did add about a half tsp of red chili flakes and I steamed the carrots for 4 minutes so I wouldn’t over cook the onions! Awesome recipe!
Wonderful recipe. I’ll be making this again and again!!
I made this recipe today just as written and we loved! My husband is not a soup man, but he liked it so much we’re having it again tomorrow. That’s a feather in your cap Sally. Will definitely be making this again! Thank you.
I have made this recipe 3 times now and I actually could eat it every single day! I did add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan and about 4 tablespoons of cognac the last 10 min.
Oh one last thing, I used cheese tortellini instead of egg noodles. The squeeze of lemon and a light sprinkle of freshly grated parm finishes it perfectly. Thanks Sally
I made this soup for our dinner and my husband and I absolutely loved it. My dog even got a ladle on his dry food. I made it exactly like the recipe. We love soup and this is a winner. So far I haven’t found a recipe of Sally’s that we don’t like. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
I completely understand sharing with your four-legged family members but, please do not feed your dog onions or garlic as these are very toxic to their organs especially liver.
My family thought this soup was just so-so. It wasn’t bad, though none of us thought the potatoes belonged, and the flavor was only ok. I read the reviews that stated “best soup ever” which is why I chose this recipe. It wasn’t terrible, but I will not make this again. We feel it definitely needs some seasonings that level up the flavor rather than using just oregano and thyme.
I don’t usually comment but this soup is the best! The flavors combine to make a very satisfying, thick soup. Leftovers were just as delicious. Thanks Sally!
Absolutely delicious! We have one gluten free and dairy free member in the the family, so I used gf flour and before adding the milk and noodles, took out his portion and added gf rotini and some oat milk. It worked great. But the rest of us had the 1/2 and 1/2 and the noodles. I can’t wait to make this again.
Amazing! 10/10! Highly recommend! My family loved it!!!
Hello. Can you sub oat milk for milk/half and half? I have a family member who is lactose intolerant.
Hi Daniella, certainly. The soup may be a little less creamy.
This recipe is excellent! I don’t usually comment on recipe pages but I made it for my family yesterday and we all LOVED it so I just had to! I made a few adjustments to my personal taste (no potatoes, celery, and I used shallot instead of onion) but the seasoning and addition of cream make this recipe divine. I used a rotisserie chicken and it worked perfectly with it. Will absolutely be making this again.
Good winter time soup. I despise celery, so I left that out. I found the juice of half a lemon squeezed into the pot just before serving added a real “bounce” to the flavor.
Sounds delicious, Kathy!
OMG! The best chicken soup ever. And I have been making homemade soups forever. So delicious. I used Orzos in place of noodles. My husband can’t stop eating this. And he is one fussy Italian. Thank you Sally. I have never made anything from you that wasn’t delicious.
There are so many types of potatoes… which sort is recommended in this?
Hi Jwelc, we typically use a russet potato or yellow potato, but really you could use your favorite. Hope you enjoy this soup!
TURKEY LEFTOVERS
I made this recipe exactly as it calls for and everyone loved it. The second time I had leftover turkey (dark & white) & potatoes I substituted for the chicken and diced potatoes. I had a half bag of frozen peas I threw in as well. It might be my new favorite! The mashed potatoes dissolved and made the soup a little thicker.
Can this be frozen and for how long?
Jackie, yes – see the recipe notes! You can freeze this soup for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
So good and it made enough for two more meals which are
in the freezer. Its just two of
us. Easy to change veggies
and great way to clean up
leftovers.
Sally – I’m 77 and just learned something new for chicken noodle or rice soup. For every 4-4.5 qt of stock add one sage leaf – you’ll thank me for it as it mixes well with the thyme & oregano and it comes in a Poultry Pack of fresh herbs along with the oregano and thyme. It made such a huge but subtle change in my Chicken Rice soup and I’m thinking sage is a very underused herb.
Sounds delicious, Karla. Thanks for sharing!
Can you please provide the nutrition information for this recipe?
Hi Bob, we’ve included a helpful link under your comment on the whole wheat bread! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Many recipes like this one have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. Here is the online calculator that our readers have found especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Perfect, in every way. My go to soup, when someone is sick and to use up leftover chicken and turkey.
Loving this recipe!! Family favorite!! Has anyone ever tried adding a can of cream of chicken soup for a little extra creaminess??
I make this recipe everytime my family is sick. Today, my husband is sick, but I didn’t have a potato. I used a can of cream of chicken soup instead of the potato, and it is as delicious and creamy as ever!
So many well deserved comments on this, but I have to add mine as well, because I got an unsolicited (and unprecedented!) DOUBLE “Thumbs Up”….. from a very picky THREE YEAR OLD. She took two bites, her eyes widened, and she gave me two thumbs and a vigorous nod with a mouth still full!! LOL!! Truly, everyone absolutely loved this. I’m making another huge batch this weekend. I made homemade stock and homemade egg noodles, and it was truly the best chicken soup I have ever tasted. AND – it has the 3yr old’s Seal of Approval as well – the best award you can get!!
Oh, my goodness. I never thought I could make better than restaurant soup. This was so delicious. Started with 2 batches. Just in time for winter. Now can’t wait to try your other recipes. Thank you so much for sharing!
So yummy!! Came together quickly and full of flavor!
Made this… it was so comforting. Will definitely make again.
This was delicious! I added a diced fresh jalapeno when sautéing veggies! Perfect if feeling a little under the weather!
If using rice, it definitely takes longer than 1 hr for the rice to cook; I waited an hr and a half before turning the heat up. Flavor is really good though, I had a bite of the chicken!
This soup was absolutely delicious and perfect on a chilly night. I added a chopped up parsnip along with the onions/carrots/celery, and replaced the oregano with fresh rosemary that I had leftover from Thanksgiving.