Shredded chicken thighs, egg noodles, and corn simmer in a broth thickened with a butter-flour roux and finished with heavy cream. Grated and sliced carrots, celery, onion, and fresh dill go into the pot along the way. The soup takes one hour and serves 8.
Two of the three carrots go in grated rather than sliced, and that distinction changes the broth. Grated carrot dissolves into the sauté and releases its sweetness into the base before the broth is even added. The third carrot goes in sliced later, so the finished bowl has a rich golden color and visible pieces of vegetable in every spoonful.
The roux gets made separately, with a ladle of hot broth used to temper it before it returns to the pot. Pouring a cold butter-flour mixture straight into hot soup creates lumps that won’t cook out. Tempering the roux with hot broth first is what keeps the finished bowl smooth rather than grainy.
Homemade Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Course: SoupsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
50
minutes362
kcalHomemade Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe with shredded chicken thighs, grated carrot, fresh dill, and a butter-roux broth. Serves 8 in one hour
Ingredients
- Soup
6 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
5 cups water
½ tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
3–4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots (2 grated, 1 sliced into thin pieces)
2 medium celery stalks, finely chopped
2 cups pasta (rotini or egg noodles)
1 cup corn (canned and drained, or from 1 cooked cob)
3 tablespoons fresh or frozen dill
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash (or any salt-free seasoning)
- Roux
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup heavy cream
Directions
- In a large pot, combine the chicken broth, water, and ½ tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil, add the chicken thighs, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Skim any impurities from the surface as it cooks.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes until softened. Increase heat to medium-high, add the grated carrots and chopped celery, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Transfer the vegetables to the soup pot.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the pot and shred the meat, discarding any fat. Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Add the pasta, sliced carrot, and corn, and cook at a low boil for 15 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until just barely golden. Ladle 1 cup of hot broth from the soup pot into the flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the heavy cream, then pour the mixture back into the soup pot and stir to combine.
- Stir in the Mrs. Dash seasoning and dill. Return to a boil, then turn off the heat and serve.
FAQs
Can this soup be made ahead or frozen?
The best approach for make-ahead is to complete the soup without the pasta, then cook and add fresh pasta just before serving. Pasta sitting in broth overnight absorbs liquid and turns soft, while the soup base freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat over medium heat, stirring in the cooked noodles last.
Can heavy cream be swapped for something lighter?
Half-and-half works at the same quantity and keeps most of the creaminess while cutting the fat. Whole milk thins the soup more noticeably, and the difference comes through in both texture and richness. Avoid plant-based milks in this recipe, since most separate under extended heat and leave a grainy rather than creamy finish.
Can the roux step be skipped for a lighter, broth-based version?
Skipping the roux gives you a classic chicken noodle soup rather than a creamy one, which is a legitimate choice but a different dish. The roux and cream are what give the broth its velvety body, and without both, the soup loses its defining texture. The rest of the recipe works unchanged if you want a lighter, broth-forward bowl.
What other hearty chicken dish belongs on the same weekly dinner rotation?
Creamy, comforting soups pair well with baked chicken dishes that use the same pantry ingredients in a different form. A chicken orzo casserole on this site layers chicken with orzo pasta and a creamy sauce in a single baking dish. Together the two give a weekly rotation one stovetop bowl and one oven-baked pan.
What chicken soup uses rice instead of noodles for variety in the rotation?
Rice and zucchini replace noodles and corn when a lighter bowl fits the week better. A ginger chicken rice soup on this site builds a broth-forward bowl with zucchini and warm ginger that covers a different flavor profile entirely. Together the two soups cover the full range from rich and creamy to light and clean.