This is the best Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup ever! Delicious roasted chicken, tender pasta noodles, and fresh veggies in a creamy chicken broth. This homemade chicken noodle soup recipe has a big flavor and big bites.

A white bowl with chicken noodle soup with a black spoon in it.

This homemade chicken noodle soup recipe might be the most versatile food ever prepared. It’s a fantastic appetizer, a tasty side dish, and can stand on its own as a delicious lunch or dinner. A mug of soup is a perfect snack or a light supper. It warms you in the winter, makes you feel better when you have the sniffles, and completes your meal when paired with a sandwich or salad.

Spoon in a bowl of creamy chicken noodle soup.

One of the great things about chicken noodle soup is that it’s so accessible. From a can, a carton, a deli, or made from scratch, it’s easy to get yourself a bowl of this golden goodness. You only have to decide how simple you want the recipe to be. If you need something quick and want to crack open a can, more power to you. Or perhaps you’ve got some extra time and feel like challenging yourself as a chef. In that case, many recipes are designed to test your cooking skills as you create chicken soup completely from scratch. I like to share recipes that fall somewhere in-between those two approaches.

This creamy chicken noodle soup recipe was created as part of a series of meals I made from one roasted chicken. Using leftover meat from a previous meal is a great way to stretch your food budget while maintaining variety in your weekly dinner menu.

Two white bowls with noodle soup with a filled pot on the left side and two black spoons and a white plate with crackers on the right side.

This homemade chicken noodle soup recipe goes way beyond broth. The chicken noodle soup seasoning comes from homemade chicken breast, fresh veggies, and home-cooked pasta. A small cup of soup makes a great appetizer. And a bowl with a big piece of crusty bread is a fantastic lunch or dinner.

INGREDIENTS – WHAT YOU NEED

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is made with chicken (Leftover Roast Chicken or 1-2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts), a can of Cream of Chicken Soup, a box of mini farfalle pasta, chicken broth, and diced fresh carrots.

Clear bowls with bowtie pasta, carrots, chicken stock, chicken and cream of chicken soup.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Use roasted chicken, or cook & chop your fresh chicken (if I have time, I just place my chicken in a 9×13 pan with a couple of tablespoons of water, cover, and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour)
Place the chicken stock in a large pot and add carrots.
Bring to boil and cook carrots in stock until softened (about 15-20 minutes). In the meantime, bring water to a boil in a separate pot for the pasta.
Boil the pasta according to package directions, then drain.
Add the pasta, cream of chicken soup, and cooked cubed chicken to the chicken stock/carrot pot mixture. Stir to combine and serve.

A silver pot with cooked chicken noodle soup with crackers on the side and empty white bowls with two spoons inside.

CAN YOU FREEZE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP?

Yes, but…the fat content is the key factor for determining your soup’s freeze-ability. When soup freezes, the fat (cream, butter) can sometimes separate from the water (broth). Once that happens, the consistency of your soup changes from smooth to grainy. The best way to prevent this is to use full-fat ingredients in any soup you intend to freeze. Make sure your Cream of Chicken Soup is full fat for this particular recipe. Fat = Freezable.

To freeze the soup, let it cool completely. Re-read that last sentence because it’s a deal breaker. Once it’s cooled, transfer it into an airtight plastic container or plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to six months. It will be the tastiest make-ahead chicken noodle soup you’ve ever had. Note: If you are making the soup to freeze it, your best bet is to leave the noodles out or only cook them for 3-4 minutes.

A white bowl with soup inside it and crackers spread underneath it.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP?

This recipe is a hybrid of instant and homemade. It combines fresh ingredients with the simplicity of ready-to-eat. It’s the best of both worlds! The secret to the fresh flavor is the roast chicken. Chunks of tender, white chicken breast turn this soup into a hearty, protein-packed meal with lots of wonderful homemade flavor. One thing I especially like about this recipe is its simplicity. If you can stir and combine, then you make this soup.

Some other outstanding chicken soup recipes include Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup and Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup.

A white bowl of soup with another behind it with crackers behind it to the side. There is also a towel and a silver pot in the back.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP?

I’m hesitant to answer this question because everyone has STRONG opinions. The die-hard Saltine crowd knows what they like in their soup. But the flavor-seeking Crouton Crew doesn’t have it. And the Rustic Bread Faithful demand to be represented in this discussion. No fewer than three young members of my own household swear by Goldfish Crackers in their chicken noodle soup. But it comes down to this: Everyone is right. Whatever you put in your soup bowl (besides the soup) is a personal preference.

If you’re looking to pair this soup with another dish, you can’t go wrong choosing from the classic triad of soup, salads, and sandwiches. Choose any two, and you’ve got yourself a fantastic meal. Or go with smaller portions and have all three!

Two white bowls with chicken noodle soup with herbs and a black spoon inside it.

WHAT KIND OF NOODLES FOR CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP?

Chicken soup may not be the flashiest of foods, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with it – especially when it comes down to the noodles. If you want to keep things simple (and delicious), you can’t go wrong with egg noodles. Light, soft, and easy to chew. A classic choice for chicken noodle soup. Step up to corkscrew pasta (Rotini) or Penne for something a little heartier. And if you’re all about the fun factor, choose wagon wheels, bow ties, or one of those special kinds of pasta shaped like animated characters or seasonal shapes like Christmas trees or Halloween pumpkins.

Two white bowls with creamy noodle soup and two black spoons on the side.

PRO TIPS/RECIPE NOTES

Divide your leftover soup into batches you can take out and use as needed. This goes for both the fridge and the freezer. It saves you from having to defrost the entire soup pot when you only need a bowl.

Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is a perfectly yummy alternative to roast chicken. It’s a great time-saver that adds a slightly different (but delicious) flavor profile to your soup.

Bread bowls are a fun – and filling – way to serve this soup. Most supermarkets carry them in their bakery section. My kids love them. And bread bowls amp up the presentation when I’m serving guests.

Substitute couscous for the noodles to mix things up. I like to use Israeli couscous, which is larger than regular couscous. Cooking time is usually pretty quick, so the couscous can be added to the boiling soup a few minutes before serving.

Try cooking (and serving) this homemade chicken noodle soup recipe in a Dutch Oven. Dutch Ovens look great in the center of your table and do an amazing job keeping the soup warm throughout dinner. Just be sure to use a trivet to prevent the hot Dutch Oven from scorching your table.

Two white bowls with chicken noodle soup with herbs and a black spoon inside both bowls. There is crackers behind it and a black and white towel.

WHAT OTHER RECIPES CAN YOU MAKE FROM WITH CHICKEN?

Create this Roast Chicken.
Make this delicious Chicken Fried Rice.
Make this Fancy Chicken Spaghetti.
Prepare this One Pan Ranch Chicken and Potatoes.
Make these Chicken French Dip Sandwiches.

The next time you make Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, I would love to see it! Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver!

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Creamy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Published By Karrie

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword easy chicken noodle soup recipe, homemade chicken noodle soup

Servings

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

This homemade chicken noodle soup recipe has a big flavor and big bites. Roasted chicken in a creamy, savory broth, with lots of noodles, fresh-cut veggies, and flavors.

Ingredients

▢ 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or leftover roasted chicken
▢ 1 can of cream of chicken soup don’t add water – just use the contents of the can
▢ 1 carton 32-oz carton of chicken broth
▢ 1 cup diced fresh carrots about 2-3 carrots
▢ 1 lb mini farfalle pasta

Instructions

Use roasted chicken or cook and chop your fresh chicken (if I have time, I just place my chicken in a 9×13 pan with a couple of tablespoons of water, cover, and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour)
Place the chicken stock in a large pot and add carrots.
Bring to boil and cook carrots in stock until softened (about 15-20 minutes). In the meantime, bring water to a boil in a separate pot for the pasta.
Boil the pasta according to package directions, then drain.
Add the pasta, cream of chicken soup, and cooked cubed chicken to the chicken stock/carrot pot mixture. Stir to combine and serve.

Notes

Divide your leftover soup into batches you can take out and use as needed. This goes for both the fridge and the freezer. It saves you from having to defrost the entire soup pot when you only need a bowl.
Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is a perfectly yummy alternative to roast chicken. It’s a great time-saver that adds a slightly different (but delicious) flavor profile to your soup.

Nutrition

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Make sure to follow on Instagram @happymoneysaver and on Pinterest @happymoneysaver for more money savin’ recipes!

This recipe was first posted on Jan 17, 2011, but updated with new photos and better-detailed instructions on August 9th, 2022.

About Karrie

Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...