Creamy chicken noodle soup with tender chicken, pasta, carrots and potatoes in a light, creamy broth. A cozy, filling dinner made with rotisserie chicken, ready in about 35 minutes.
Nicky’s Notes
I make this soup constantly through the colder months. It’s comforting, filling and simple to put together. With pasta and potato in the bowl, plus some buttered toast on the side, it’s a satisfying, warming meal.
- It tastes like a long-simmered broth, yet comes together in about 35 minutes.
- Using a rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut when you’re short on time.
- Because the soup is creamy, it still tastes wholesome and full of flavour even if you make stock from water and stock cubes.
Table of Contents
- Nicky’s Notes
- 📋 Ingredients for Chicken Noodle Soup
- Abbreviated Recipe
- Recipe Tips
- 🍽️ More creamy soups
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup (US style) Recipe
📋 Ingredients for Chicken Noodle Soup
Pasta/Noodles
Traditional American chicken noodle soup uses short, twisted egg noodles, which resemble a twisted ribbon. You can substitute wide egg noodles, rice noodles or any pasta shape you prefer.
If you can’t find US-style egg noodles, use a ribbon pasta with some texture. I like Mafalda corta (a flattened ribbon with ruffled edges) because it holds up well in the soup.
Abbreviated Recipe
Sauté onion, garlic, carrot and celery in butter, add flour and stir to form a roux. Gradually whisk in stock, add diced potato and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in milk, lemon juice and pasta, simmer about 10 minutes until pasta is almost done. Add shredded chicken and heat through.
Recipe Tips
- Use full-fat or semi-skimmed milk. Simmer gently after adding milk so the broth stays smooth and doesn’t separate.
- Shredded meat from a whole rotisserie chicken works perfectly, or use cooked chicken breasts, thighs, or a mix.
- Don’t skip the lemon juice — a tablespoon brightens the flavours without making the soup taste lemony.
🍽️ More creamy soups
Soups
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Soups
Creamy Cock a Leekie Soup
Soups
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Soups
Cream of Broccoli Soup
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Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup (US style)
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion peeled and diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 sticks of celery sliced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1.2 litres (5 cups) chicken stock water plus 3–4 stock cubes is fine
- 1 medium potato peeled and diced
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) milk half or full-fat
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 small lemon)
- 150 g (5.3oz) Mafalda corta pasta or favourite pasta/noodle
- 500 g (1.1lbs) shredded cooked chicken breast, thigh or a mix (rotisserie chicken works well)
To Serve
- Fresh chopped parsley or thyme
- Crusty bread, toasted or garlic bread
Instructions
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Melt the butter in a large saucepan or casserole over medium heat.
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Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, pepper and thyme. Gently sauté, stirring often, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.
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Sprinkle over the flour and whisk into the vegetables until it forms a creamy paste (roux).
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Cook the roux for a minute while stirring, then slowly pour in the chicken stock, whisking until incorporated.
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Add the diced potato, stir and simmer for 10 minutes.
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Stir in the milk, lemon juice and pasta. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until the pasta is almost cooked.
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Add the shredded chicken and cook for a further 3–4 minutes to heat through.
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Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, garnish with chopped parsley or thyme, and serve with bread for dipping.
Notes
Pasta/Noodles
Short twisted egg noodles are traditional in the US, but any sturdy pasta or noodle will work. Choose a shape that holds sauce so it doesn’t become mushy.
Rotisserie chicken
Rotisserie chicken is a quick, tasty shortcut. Because this recipe uses a creamy roux-based broth, stock made from cubes or a simple store-bought stock still gives excellent results.
Make ahead
You can make the soup ahead: cool quickly, refrigerate for 2–3 days and reheat thoroughly. The soup will thicken as it cools; add a splash of stock or water when reheating if needed. The pasta will soften more when stored.
Freezing
This soup freezes well. Cool, cover and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently, adding stock or water if it has thickened.
Nutritional information is per serving and approximate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
This post was first published in March 2015. Updated January 2026 with recipe updates, new photos and housekeeping.
Some links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you buy a product (at no extra cost to you). Thank you — it helps keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. Nutritional information is approximate.