Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Name: Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep time: 17 min
Cook time: 1 h 3 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of large fat pieces, patted dry; 1 tbsp (14 ml) olive oil; 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter; 1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 3 medium (about 8½ oz) (240 g) carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds; 3 stalks (about 5 oz) (150 g) celery stalks, sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp (3 g) fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the stems (or 1 tsp dried); ⅓ cup (42 g) all-purpose flour; 8 cups (1900 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, at room temperature or slightly warm; 1 leaf (1 g) bay leaf; 5 oz (140 g) wide egg noodles, dry; 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature; 2 tsp (6 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, added in three stages (½ tsp, 1 tsp, ½ tsp); use half as much by volume if using Morton kosher; add more to taste at the end; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tsp (10 ml) fresh lemon juice; 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A velvety, stovetop chicken noodle soup built on seared chicken thighs, a light flour roux and a splash of heavy cream. The thighs stay juicy, the egg noodles turn tender, and a squeeze of lemon keeps the richness bright.

Prep: 17 min
Cook: 1 hr 3 min
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Makes: About 10 cups (2.4 L), six bowls of roughly 1⅔ cups each

Jump to recipe ♡ Save

Ingredients

6 servings

1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of large fat pieces, patted dry
1 tbsp (14 ml) olive oil
3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter
1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
3 medium (about 8½ oz) (240 g) carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds
3 stalks (about 5 oz) (150 g) celery stalks, sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp (3 g) fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the stems (or 1 tsp dried)
⅓ cup (42 g) all-purpose flour
8 cups (1900 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, at room temperature or slightly warm
1 leaf (1 g) bay leaf
5 oz (140 g) wide egg noodles, dry
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
2 tsp (6 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, added in three stages (½ tsp, 1 tsp, ½ tsp); use half as much by volume if using Morton kosher; add more to taste at the end
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
2 tsp (10 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Equipment (7)

6-quart (5.7 L) heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven with a lid
Wooden spoon
Whisk
Instant-read thermometer
Cutting board and sharp knife
Two forks for shredding
Ladle

Steps

Before you start

Plan on about 80 minutes start to finish: roughly 17 minutes of prep and 63 minutes with the pot on the heat. The passive simmering and boiling times are counted as cook time, not extra waiting.
Measure the cream and let it sit on the counter while you cook. Cold cream cools the soup and takes longer to blend in.
Chop all the vegetables before you turn on the heat. Once the butter is in the pot, the steps move quickly.
Salt amounts are for Diamond Crystal kosher salt (2 tsp is about 6 g in total). If you use Morton kosher or fine salt, use half as much by volume. The soup needs about 2 tsp Diamond Crystal in total, so salt in three stages and taste at the end.
Use low-sodium broth so you control the salt. Check your noodle package: wide egg noodles usually take 6 to 8 minutes, so start tasting at 6. This is an all-stovetop recipe.

1
Prep the ingredients
- Dice the onion, slice the carrots and celery, mince the garlic and strip the thyme leaves.
- Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels and season both sides with ½ tsp of the kosher salt and all the pepper.
- Keep the cream out on the counter.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Vegetables are cut into even pieces so they cook at the same rate, and the chicken surface feels dry to the touch.
Tip: Dry chicken browns; wet chicken steams and turns gray.
2
Sear the chicken
- Heat the olive oil in the soup pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Add the thighs in a single layer and cook without moving them for 3 to 4 minutes, until deep golden underneath.
- Flip and sear the other side for 3 minutes.
- They will not be cooked through.
- Transfer to a plate and leave the browned bits in the pot.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Both sides are deep golden brown and the thighs release easily from the pot.
Tip: If the thighs stick, give them another 30 seconds. They release when the crust has formed.
3
Soften the vegetables
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the butter and let it melt, scraping up the browned bits.
- Add the onion, carrots and celery with 1 tsp of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute, for 7 to 8 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Onion is translucent and soft, and the carrots are slightly tender at the edges but still firm.
Tip: Lower the heat if the butter browns or the browned bits begin to burn.
4
Make the roux
- Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes so the flour coats everything and loses its raw taste.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The vegetables look pasty and coated, with no dry flour visible, and smell lightly toasty.
Tip: Keep stirring; flour on the pot bottom scorches quickly.
5
Add the broth
- Pour in about 1 cup (240 ml) of the broth and stir hard with the whisk or spoon, scraping the pot bottom, until smooth and thick.
- Gradually add the remaining 7 cups (1.66 L) broth, stirring as you pour.
- Add the bay leaf.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The broth is smooth with no flour lumps, slightly thickened and bubbling at the edges.
Tip: Adding the first cup slowly and stirring vigorously is what prevents lumps.
6
Simmer the chicken
- Nestle the seared thighs and any juices from the plate into the pot.
- Reduce the heat to low so the soup bubbles gently, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir every 4 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom, so the thickened soup does not scorch.
- Check the thickest thigh with an instant-read thermometer.
- If it is under 175°F (80°C), keep simmering and recheck every 3 to 5 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: An instant-read thermometer reads at least 175°F (80°C) in the thickest part, and the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
Tip: Thighs are safe at 165°F (74°C), but 175°F gives a more tender, shreddable texture. Scrape the pot bottom when you stir.
7
Shred the chicken
- Move the thighs to a cutting board.
- Raise the heat to medium and return the soup to a steady simmer.
- Fish out the bay leaf.
- After the thighs have cooled for about 3 minutes, shred the meat into bite-size pieces with two forks, discarding any gristle.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Chicken shreds easily into bite-size pieces with no pink.
8
Cook the noodles
- Add the egg noodles to the simmering soup and stir.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, tasting at 6 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Noodles are tender with a slight chew and no hard white center when you bite one.
Tip: Slightly underdone is ideal. They keep softening in the hot soup and absorb liquid as it sits.
9
Finish with cream
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Stir in the cream and the shredded chicken.
- Warm gently for 3 minutes, stirring, until the soup is hot and steaming.
- Do not let it boil.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The soup is evenly creamy, steaming and just trembling at the edges, with no bubbles breaking.
Tip: Boiling after the cream goes in can make the soup look grainy. Keep it at a bare simmer.
10
Season and serve
- Take the pot off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Taste and add the final ½ tsp salt, then more salt or pepper in small pinches if needed.
- The soup should need about 2 tsp Diamond Crystal salt in total.
- Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the parsley.
- Serve hot.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The soup tastes rich but bright, with enough salt that the chicken and vegetable flavors stand out.
Tip: Add the lemon at the end, off the heat. It lifts the cream without curdling it.

Good to know

Tips

Sear the chicken even though it finishes in the soup. The browned bits dissolve into the broth and give the soup its depth.
Whisk the first cup of broth into the roux until completely smooth before adding the rest. That is how you avoid lumps.
Add the cream only after the noodles are cooked, and keep the heat low so the soup stays smooth.
Season in stages (chicken, vegetables, then at the end) and taste before serving. If the soup thickens as it sits, because the noodles keep absorbing liquid, loosen it with a splash of warm broth rather than simmering it longer.

Make ahead

"Make the soup through step 7 (shredded chicken returned to the pot, without the noodles, cream or lemon) up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat to a simmer, then continue with the noodles and cream so they stay fresh and don't swell."

Storage & reheating

Cool the soup within 2 hours. Refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 3 days. The noodles will absorb liquid and thicken the soup, so thin it with broth or water when reheating. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring, until steaming, and do not boil. Freezing the finished soup is not recommended. Instead, freeze the base without the noodles and cream for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat and add freshly cooked noodles and cream.

Substitutions

heavy cream → half-and-half. Lighter in texture. Add it at the very end over low heat and do not let it boil, since it curdles more readily.
boneless, skinless chicken thighs → boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Simmer only until they reach 165°F (74°C), about 12 to 15 minutes, or they will dry out.
wide egg noodles → small pasta such as ditalini or rotini. Cook according to package time, adding 1 to 2 minutes if you want it more tender.
all-purpose flour → 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Use the same amount to make the roux. Serve with gluten-free noodles to keep the soup gluten-free.