Lightened-Up Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This lightened-up creamy chicken noodle soup has only 200 calories per serving!

This is, by far, my favorite homemade chicken noodle soup recipe. I’ve probably served it over 100 times by now because it’s the easiest and most satisfying creamy chicken noodle soup. And it’s made even better with the addition of potato, fresh thyme, and convenient rotisserie chicken. If you’re looking for an easy delicious soup recipe– read some of the reviews below. This will be your new favorite!

And, most importantly, this soup is made in only 1 pot and freezes like a dream!

How to Make Light & Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

You need 1 big pot and a few staple ingredients.

• Smidge of butter: Cook the onions, carrots, and celery in 1 Tablespoon of butter.


• Spices: Use blend of oregano, fresh thyme, fresh ground pepper, and salt. Paired with 2 cloves of garlic, this will be the most flavorful homemade chicken noodle soup you ever try!


• Flour or Cornstarch: Flour of cornstarch create a thick soup base.


• Milk or Half-and-Half: This is the magical ingredient turning your soup into the creamiest soup ever. Use 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of half-and-half, or 1/2 cup of heavy cream. If you want to make regular chicken noodle soup, replace the milk with more chicken broth.


• Potato: 1 medium potato is another magical ingredient because it makes the soup SO creamy, hearty, and satisfying. It cooks down, which creates the creamiest soup consistency ever.


• Chicken: This recipe saves time because you can use store-bought shredded chicken. Pick up a small rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred it, and add it right into the soup. Or you can boil chicken breasts or roast them with a little garlic and rosemary. To save time, shred the chicken the day before.

If you have leftover shredded chicken, use it in tacos, wraps, or in recipes like my chicken quinoa salad or my favorite peanut chicken zucchini noodles. There are millions of tasty uses for leftover chicken and this chicken noodle soup is one of them!

This Soup Satisfies. Period.

One bowl of this light & creamy chicken noodle soup leaves me satisfied for hours and I never feel like there’s a huge brick in my stomach. (As we often feel after eating a heavy cream-based soup!) This is the meal that keeps on giving because if you have a smaller family, there will be plenty of leftover soup to enjoy during the week. Serve in homemade bread bowls or alongside a batch of deliciously soft dinner rolls.

And now the best part! I calculated the calories (on SparkRecipes) and a 1 cup serving of this creamy chicken noodle soup is only 203 calories with 20 grams of protein. Cozy up with a bowl of 1.5 cups of soup and a big side salad for a satisfying protein-packed meal.

Step by step photos below the recipe!

Lightened-Up Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Yield: about 12 cups

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

This lightened-up creamy chicken noodle soup has only 200 calories per serving. The potato adds heartiness to the soup and, as it cooks, makes the soup even creamier. Don't leave it out!

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter


• 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion (1/2 of a medium onion)


• 1 cup sliced carrots (1 and 1/2 large carrots)


• 1 cup sliced celery (2-3 stalks)


• 2 garlic cloves, minced


• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour*


• 1/2 teaspoon oregano


• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper


• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme*


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 8 cups chicken broth*


• 1 medium potato, peeled and diced (around 1 and 1/2 cups)


• 2 cups shredded roasted chicken*


• 1 cup fat free half-and-half or whole milk*


• 4 cups uncooked wide egg noodles*

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a large pot or dutch oven (4 quart or larger). Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté for around 7 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add flour, oregano, pepper, thyme, and salt. Stir and cook for 3 minutes.


2. Next, add the broth and potato. Give everything a quick stir, then increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the soup to a boil, without stirring, and boil for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and allow to simmer for 25 minutes or until the potatoes have softened. Taste the soup. Does it need more seasoning like salt, pepper, etc? Add some. Add the chicken, milk/half-and-half, and noodles. Cook for 10 minutes until the noodles are tender and the soup has thickened. Once again, taste the soup and add more seasoning as desired. Serve the soup warm.


3. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To reheat, simply pour into a pot over medium heat and cook until warm. Feel free to add more chicken broth to the leftovers if it's too thick-- I always do. (Soup thickens in the refrigerator as the noodles and potatoes soak up the liquid.)

Freezing: Freeze soup for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before eating, then reheat on the stove until warm.

Recipe Notes:

During the last few minutes of cook time, try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon. It's so good!

1. Instead of 1/4 cup of flour, you can use 2 Tablespoons cornstarch.


2. I prefer fresh thyme in this soup. To get the thyme leaves off the sprigs, I hold the tip of the twig with one hand and then slide my thumb and pointer finger of my other hand along the sprig. Ground thyme works too. Use 1/2 teaspoon or more, as desired. Or you can use pre-made Italian seasoning (found in the spice aisle). I usually use about 2 teaspoons.


3. I use regular chicken broth. If using low sodium, make sure you are tasting the soup as it cooks to make sure there is enough salt in the soup.


4. I recommend using rotisserie chicken. Pick up a small rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred it - both white and dark meat - and use in the soup. Or you can roast some chicken breasts yourself. Rub with a little minced garlic and rosemary, roast in the oven under tender, then shred it. You can also boil 2 large chicken breasts until cooked through, then shred and use in this recipe.


5. The 200 calorie count is using fat free half-and-half. Feel free to use regular half-and-half, milk, or 1/2 cup of heavy cream. If using 1/2 cup of heavy cream, add another 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the recipe.


6. Any shape noodle works here! I prefer wide egg noodles in chicken soup.

Updated slow cooker instructions: Prepare the soup through step 1 on the stovetop. Transfer to a slow cooker and continue with step 2. Allow to cook for 2 hours on low, then add the chicken, half-and-half, and noodles. Cook on low for 1-2 more hours.

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Melt the butter in a large pot or dutch oven, then add the chopped veggies. Add some garlic and let the veggies briefly cook for about 7 minutes.

Per the recipe instructions above, add the spices and flour– flour helps thicken the mixture and soak up all the veggies’ juices.

Next, add 1 medium peeled chopped potato. The potato adds some heartiness to the soup. A sweet potato would be tasty too!

Next add some chicken broth. Feel free to use store-bought chicken broth or homemade chicken broth (or stock).

Bring to a boil, then allow the fragrant mixture to simmer for around 25 minutes. Cover with a lid, leaving a little crack open for steam to escape.

After the simmering step, add the chicken, milk/half-and-half, and noodles. Throughout cooking, taste the soup. Add more spices as you see fit. Within 10-15 minutes, dinner is ready. Serve in my homemade bread bowls for a truly comforting meal!

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