Fall is here and even if the weather isn’t cooperating (it is still 95 degrees in California and I’m wishing for the 60s.) The Healthiest Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is a heartier and healthier version of chicken noodle soup that is just packed with veggies and chicken. It is the little things you swap out or add that make the biggest difference when trying to eat healthier. I just don’t believe in an all or nothing approach to food. So, substitutions can just get you on the right path to better decisions. I have used both the dark and white meat of the chicken since I love the richness it brings to the dish. There are plenty of health benefits to both so I eat both. If you prefer, just use the breast meat but you may need more than one chicken.
In this recipe, I used light butter. My go to is Land ‘o Lakes light Canola butter. I just really like the taste and it works in almost everything. I do add chicken bouillon to beef up the chicken taste (Is it appropriate to use “beef up” in a chicken recipe? Probably not but you get the idea.) But there is salt in that so if you were watching your salt intake, I’d leave it out. The recipe calls for 1 – 2 teaspoons of salt (again based on your preference) so taste as you go and adjust according to your taste buds. As you know, you can just use unsalted butter and unsalted stock, etc. All the recipes are guidelines and you can use the products that work for you.
The Parmesan is optional but it is the perfect topping to this soup. I eat this as a meal for both lunch and dinner. It is well balanced with protein, veggies and carbs so I’m always satisfied. If you need to add more, a side salad and a piece of Italian bread or Sour Dough would be awesome. This is a nice twist on traditional chicken noodle soup. Try it – you’ll like it!
To get started, if you are using a rotisserie chicken, remove the skin and discard. Pull off all the meat and chop it into small bite sized pieces. Remember, it is going in a soup.
Pull together all your veggies. Chop up your carrots, celery and onions.
Melt butter with olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper and cook until vegetables are soft and translucent. About 8 – 10 minutes. Add the flour and stir into the vegetables.
Pull the thyme leaves off the stems and roughly chop. Have your bouillon cubes ready to go.
Add the broth, milk and half and half and let the mixture come to a boil. Then, add the chicken bouillon cubes and stir until disolved. Add the uncooked noodles or pasta to the boiling soup.
Cover and cook noodles or pasta about 8 minutes until partially cooked. Stir in the cooked chicken, thyme, corn and peas and cook until pasta reaches desired doneness and chicken and peas are warmed through, about 2 – 3 minutes.
Ladle into bowls, top with more thyme and freshly grated Parmesan and serve. I use those cute soup bowls with the handles which is just great for getting the soup to the table without spilling anything. (Plus, they look great.)
If you like this soup recipe, be sure to try some of my other favorites:
Spring Peas, Shrimp and Lobster Soup
Beef, Vegetable and Barley Soup
The Healthiest Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Minnesota Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
The Healthiest Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Land ‘o Lakes light butter
- 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 2 Cups Chopped yellow onion about one large onion
- 1 Cup Chopped Carrots about 2 medium carrots
- 1 Cup Chopped celery about 2 large stalks
- 1 – 2 Tsps. Kosher salt start with one and taste – add more if needed
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh thyme leaves plus more to garnish
- 4 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
- 3 Tbsp. All-purpose flour
- 4 Cups Chicken stock
- 1 Cup Whole milk
- 1 Cup Fat free half and half
- 1 Cup Uncooked whole-wheat egg noodles or pasta of your choice
- 3 Cups Coarsely chopped rotisserie chicken dark and white meat from 1 rotisserie chickens
- 1 Cup Frozen green peas
- ½ Cup Frozen corn kernels
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Melt butter with olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper and cook until vegetables are soft and translucent. About 8 – 10 minutes. Add the flour and stir into the vegetables.
- Add the broth, milk and half and half and let the mixture come to a boil. Then, add the chicken bouillon cubes and stir until disolved. Add the uncooked noodles or pasta to the boiling soup.
- Cover and cook noodles or pasta about 8 minutes until partially cooked. Stir in the cooked chicken, thyme, corn and peas and cook until pasta reaches desired doneness and chicken and peas are warmed through, about 2 – 3 minutes.
- Ladle into bowls, top with more thyme and freshly grated Parmesan and serve. I use those cut soup bowls with the handles which is just great for getting the soup to the table without spilling anything. (Plus, they look great.) Soup Bowls with Handles
