Description

This creamy chicken noodle soup is a comforting and hearty meal featuring tender chicken, wide egg noodles, and a flavorful blend of thyme and oregano in a rich broth thickened with flour and half-and-half. Perfect for cozy dinners, it combines the freshness of vegetables and the creaminess of dairy for a satisfying bowl.

Ingredients

Scale

Vegetables and Herbs

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 medium potato, peeled and diced (around 1 and 1/2 cups or 280g)
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons fresh)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
optional for garnish: fresh thyme leaves

Broth and Seasonings

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
8 cups (1.92 liters) chicken broth (reduced sodium recommended)

Dairy and Fat

1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1 cup (240ml) half-and-half or whole milk

Protein and Pasta

2 cups (about 250g) shredded or chopped cooked chicken
3-4 cups (about 112-150g) uncooked wide egg noodles (or other dry pasta)

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Instructions

Melt and sauté vegetables: Melt the unsalted butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, sliced carrots, diced celery, and minced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
Add flour and seasonings: Stir in the all-purpose flour, salt, ground pepper, dried thyme, and dried oregano. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to form a roux and develop the flavors.
Add broth and potatoes: Pour in the chicken broth and add the diced potato. Stir everything briefly, then increase heat to medium-high. Bring the soup to a boil without stirring, and let it boil for 3 minutes.
Simmer the soup: Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and allow the soup to simmer for 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Add chicken, dairy, and noodles: Stir in the shredded cooked chicken, half-and-half or whole milk, and uncooked wide egg noodles. Cook for 10 minutes until the noodles are tender and the soup thickens.
Final seasoning and serve: Taste the soup once again and add more seasoning if needed. Serve warm, garnished with optional fresh thyme leaves if desired.
Storage and reheating: Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To reheat, pour soup into a pot over medium heat and warm through. Add extra chicken broth to loosen if the soup has thickened after refrigeration.

Notes

This soup benefits from the addition of potato which adds creaminess and thickness without making it heavy.
Dried herbs like thyme and oregano provide a fresh, aromatic flavor but you can substitute fresh if available at double the quantity for thyme and double for oregano as noted.
Using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken is a time saver and adds excellent flavor.
If you prefer, this recipe can be adapted to slow cooker by sautéing veggies and making the roux on the stovetop first, then transferring all ingredients except dairy and noodles to the slow cooker for 4 hours on low before adding chicken, half-and-half, and noodles to cook for another 30 minutes.
Wide egg noodles or other pasta can be used; adjust cooking time accordingly to achieve tender noodles.
Half-and-half can be substituted with whole milk but will slightly reduce creaminess.
Use reduced sodium chicken broth to better control salt levels in the soup.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 220 kcal
Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 550 mg
Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 15 g
Cholesterol: 55 mg