If you think homemade chicken soup is the cure-all for winter’s ails, give this luxuriously rich Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup a try. It’s guaranteed to soothe your soul, fill your belly, and warm you all over.
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Makes about 3 quarts
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken breasts
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 (32-ounce) containers chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2½ cups chopped onion, divided
- 1½ cups chopped carrots, divided
- 1½ cups chopped celery, divided
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 sprigs fresh parsley
- 4 large cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups wide egg noodles
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Gently loosen skin from breasts, keeping skin. Rub 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper under chicken skin.
- In a medium cast-iron Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Add broth, 2 cups water, 1 cup onion, ¾ cup carrot, ¾ cup celery, thyme and parsley sprigs, garlic cloves, bay leaves, and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken from pot, and let cool enough to handle. Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, reserving liquid and discarding solids. Shred chicken, discarding skin and bone. Wipe pot clean.
- In same pot, melt butter over medium heat; add remaining 1½ cups onion, remaining ¾ cup carrot, remaining ¾ cup celery, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and thyme; cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle flour onto vegetables; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in reserved broth until smooth, and bring to a boil. Stir in noodles; cook until noodles are al dente, about 8 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken, peas, and cream; cook until heated through.
Notes
Kitchen Tip: If the soup thickens too much for your liking as it stands, gradually stir in additional chicken broth.
