Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 4 cup chicken broth
• salt (To taste; also used for seasoning the chicken and finished soup.)
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp black pepper (Plus additional pepper to taste at the end.)
• 1 tsp red chili powder (Optional.)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 onion (Diced.)
• 5.5 cloves garlic (5-6 cloves, minced.)
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley (Freshly chopped.)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 cup carrot (Diced.)
• 1 cup celery (Diced.)
• 0.75 cup unsweetened heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup boiled pasta (Pasta of choice, such as egg noodles, fettuccine, or macaroni; already boiled.)
• 0.333 cup Parmesan cheese (Freshly grated, for garnish.)
• 1 lemon juice (Juice of 1 lemon, freshly squeezed.)

Steps

1. 1

   Season the chicken breast with salt, black pepper, and the optional red chili powder.

2. 2

   Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

3. 3

   Add the seasoned chicken and cook until browned, about 5–6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside.

4. 4

   Add the melted butter to the pot.

5. 5

   Add the diced onion, minced garlic, diced carrot, and diced celery. Cook until the vegetables are tender.

6. 6

   Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

7. 7

   Pour in the chicken broth while whisking continuously.

8. 8

   Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

9. 9

   Stir in the heavy whipping cream and the cooked chicken.

10. 10

    Cook for an additional 5–7 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

11. 11

    Add the boiled pasta and stir to combine.

12. 12

    Add the dried oregano, dried thyme, and chopped parsley.

13. 13

    Season the soup with additional salt and black pepper to taste.

14. 14

    Ladle the soup into bowls.

15. 15

    Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over each serving and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top.

16. 16

    Serve hot.

Notes

For extra creaminess, add more heavy whipping cream or substitute half-and-half. Different pasta shapes may be used, and diced bell peppers or mushrooms may be added. The source says the soup can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen for up to 3 days; it does not specify separate refrigeration or thawing instructions.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• main
• chicken
• creamy
• comfort food
• stovetop
• make-ahead