Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe

Name: Creamy Chicken Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 6 large carrots, diced; 4 celery stalks, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 large onion, diced; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper; 2 teaspoons dried thyme; 1 bay leaf; 8 cups chicken stock, store-bought or homemade; 4 bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds); 8 ounces egg noodles; 2 (14-ounce) cans cannellini beans; 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

When the winds outside are barreling down from the north and a carpet of fallen leaves covers the forest floor, I crave this soup.

What Makes This Chicken Soup Creamy?

The base of most creamy soups calls for heavy cream, a roux made of fat and flour, or both. I love a good stick-to-your-ribs soup as much as the next person, but for this creamy chicken noodle soup, I wanted to lighten it up a bit and increase the protein without adding loads of heavy cream or making a roux.

To do that, I pureed a couple of cans of cannellini beans. It gives the soup a creamy texture, without the extra step of cooking a roux.

I do finish the soup with a little cream to add a velvety texture that only cream can provide, but you can leave that out if you’re dairy-free or just want to skip it.

Simple Variations on Creamy Chicken Soup

Use orzo instead of egg noodles.
Make it a chicken and rice soup by adding cooked rice (or even wild rice) when you add the cream in step 5.
Add a handful of baby spinach leaves right at the end of cooking.
Make the soup even more substantial by adding sliced mushrooms.

Storing and Freezing Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. It will thicken as it sits because the noodles will continue to absorb some of the liquid.

You can freeze this soup for up to 3 months. I like to freeze it in individual containers and reheat it for my lunches. Just make sure you leave about half an inch of headspace for the soup to expand once frozen.

Looking for More Chicken Soup Ideas?

Creamy Chicken Soup

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 65 mins

Servings 8 to 10 servings

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2 tablespoons olive oil
6 large carrots, diced
4 ribs celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf
8 cups chicken stock, store-bought or homemade
4 bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
8 ounces egg noodles
2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Sauté the vegetables:

Heat olive oil in a stock pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the vegetables, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir only 2 or 3 times, then let it sit for 10 minutes, stir the veggies every 1 to 2 minutes for the next 6 minutes until you notice some color developing on the vegetables. You want them to brown a bit, but not too much.

Alison Bickel
Add the stock and cook the chicken:

Add the chicken stock, scraping any fond that has developed on the bottom of the pan. Bring to boil, then reduce the heat to medium to a simmer.

If the thighs have skin, remove it and trim them of any excess fat. Add the thighs to the simmering stock and let it cook uncovered for 20 minutes. If any foam forms on the surface, just skim it off.

Alison Bickel

Alison Bickel
Cool the chicken and cook the noodles:

Check the chicken for doneness (160°F). If it isn’t cooked through, cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Use tongs to remove the thighs from the soup, and transfer to a cutting board to cool. Bring the stock up to a boil, add the noodles and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente. Reduce the heat to medium low. Remove the meat from the bones.

Alison Bickel
Make the bean puree:

In a medium sized bowl, add the drained beans, 1/2 cup water, and apple cider vinegar (which helps balance the flavors). Puree using an immersion blender (or you can do this in a food processor or countertop blender).

Alison Bickel
Finish and serve:

Add the meat back to the pot to reheat. Stir in the bean puree, along with 1/2 cup heavy cream and chopped parsley. Taste and add additional salt or vinegar to suit your fancy.

Alison Bickel

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
434	Calories
19g	Fat
37g	Carbs
30g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories	434
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g	25%
Saturated Fat 7g	33%
Cholesterol 109mg	36%
Sodium 555mg	24%
Total Carbohydrate 37g	14%
Dietary Fiber 7g	24%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 30g
Vitamin C 4mg	20%
Calcium 121mg	9%
Iron 5mg	27%
Potassium 973mg	21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.