Creamy garlic chicken noodle soup takes the familiar bowl and turns it into something richer, with a velvety broth, plenty of garlic, and a gentle kick of red pepper.
A quick roux and heavy cream give the soup body, while sazon seasoning adds a warm golden color. It serves 6, takes about 1 hour from start to finish, and is satisfying enough to be the whole dinner.
Table of Contents
Why This Creamy Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe Works
Garlic gets time to soften. Eight chopped cloves cooked in butter turn sweet rather than sharp, and they flavor every spoonful of broth.
A roux made from butter and flour thickens the broth before the cream goes in. That keeps the soup silky and stable, so the cream does not separate when you simmer it.
The chicken poaches right in the seasoned broth and then gets shredded back in, so it stays juicy and picks up the flavor of sazon and bay leaves. Cream goes in after the chicken, and noodles go in last so they never turn soft.
Ingredients for Creamy Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 packet sazon seasoning with saffron
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cups dry egg noodles (about 4 ounces)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Garlic. Chop the cloves rather than mincing them so they stay in small pieces that soften without burning. Add them after the vegetables have softened.
Sazon seasoning. One packet of sazon with saffron gives the broth a golden color and a savory, slightly earthy flavor. It already contains salt, so the soup needs very little more.
Heavy cream. Stir it in after the chicken is shredded and keep the soup at a gentle simmer, never a hard boil, so it stays smooth.
Chicken. Two pounds of breasts poach in about 15 minutes and shred easily. Leftover cooked chicken also works: skip the poaching and add about 4 cups with the cream.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup
1. Cook the vegetables. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add the garlic. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until it smells sweet and fragrant.
3. Make the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
4. Pour in the broth. Whisk in the broth a little at a time, then keep whisking for 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.
5. Poach the chicken. Add the sazon, bay leaves, and chicken. Bring to a boil, then partly cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Remove the chicken and shred it.
6. Add the cream. Return the chicken to the pot, remove the bay leaves, and pour in the cream. Simmer gently for 5 to 8 minutes until the soup coats a spoon.
7. Cook the noodles. Stir in the noodles and cook for 8 minutes, until tender. Add the parsley, taste, and adjust the salt and pepper.
How to Serve Creamy Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup
Spoon the soup into warm bowls and top with extra parsley. Honey butter dinner rolls and air fryer tortilla garlic bread are ideal for dunking, roasted chile cheese cornbread adds a little heat, and one pot asparagus orzo gives you something green.
How to Store and Reheat Creamy Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup
Cool the soup within 2 hours and refrigerate it for 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently over medium low heat, stirring often, until it reaches 165 degrees F, and loosen it with a splash of broth if the noodles have thickened it. Cream soups do not freeze well, so for longer storage freeze the shredded chicken in broth, without cream or noodles, for up to 3 months.
Tips and Variations for Creamy Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup
Keep the cream gentle. A low simmer keeps the cream from curdling. Avoid a hard boil after it goes in.
Control the heat. Start with 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes if you prefer a mild soup and add more at the end.
Skip the rinse. Rinsing raw chicken spreads germs around the sink, so go straight from the package to the pot.
Lighten it up. Half and half works in place of heavy cream, though the soup will be thinner and less rich.
Add a vegetable. Stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach with the parsley at the end.
Cook the noodles last. Noodles keep absorbing broth in a cream soup, so add them only when you are ready to serve.
Brighten the flavor. A squeeze of lemon juice off the heat cuts through the cream.
Handle cream soups safely. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Fight BAC brochure covers cleaning, cooking, and chilling food safely.
Frequently Asked Questions About Creamy Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup
Why did my Creamy Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup curdle?
Boiling the soup after adding cream is the usual cause. Keep the pot at a low simmer, and make sure the broth is thickened with the roux before the cream goes in.
Can I make Creamy Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup without heavy cream?
Yes. Use half and half, or whole milk with an extra tablespoon of flour in the roux. The soup will be lighter but still creamy.
Can I freeze Creamy Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup?
Cream soups can separate in the freezer. Freeze the shredded chicken in broth without cream or noodles for up to 3 months, then add fresh cream and noodles when you reheat.
What is sazon seasoning?
It is a savory blend, often made with annatto or saffron, garlic, cumin, and coriander. It gives soups a golden color and warm flavor. Without it, use 1/2 teaspoon each of ground turmeric and ground cumin.
How spicy is this soup?
One teaspoon of red pepper flakes gives mild to medium warmth. Use 1/2 teaspoon for less heat or up to 2 teaspoons if you like it hot.
Creamy Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup
Equipment
- Large pot
- Whisk
- 2 forks
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 8 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes adjust to taste
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 5 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 packet sazon seasoning with saffron
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 cup dry egg noodles about 4 oz
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Cooking
- Sweat the aromatics. Melt the butter with the oil over medium heat and cook the carrots, celery, onion, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper 5 to 7 minutes until soft. Add the garlic. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Cook the roux. Stir the flour into the vegetables for 2 minutes.
- Whisk in the broth. Add the broth gradually, whisking 3 to 5 minutes until smooth and lightly thick.
- Simmer the chicken. Add the sazon, bay leaves, and chicken, bring to a boil, then cook partly covered 12 to 15 minutes until it reaches 165 degrees F. Shred the chicken.
- Pour in the cream. Return the chicken to the pot, discard the bay leaves, add the cream, and simmer gently 5 to 8 minutes until slightly thick.
- Boil the noodles. Add the noodles and cook about 8 minutes until tender, then stir in the parsley.
