Description

This creamy chicken noodle soup features tender chicken breast, crispy bacon, fresh vegetables, and broken angel hair pasta in a flavorful, velvety broth. Topped with homemade mini croutons and parsley, it’s a comforting and hearty meal perfect for chilly days.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken & Seasoning

400g (10oz) chicken breast (2 small, halved horizontally to thin steaks; can substitute boneless thighs)
1/4 tsp cooking salt or kosher salt
1/4 tbsp black pepper

Bacon & Croutons

4 strips streaky bacon (enough to cover base of pot)
1 cup crustless bread, cut into 7mm (1/4″) cubes (sourdough or regular sandwich bread)
2 tsp olive oil
Pinch of cooking salt or kosher salt (for croutons)

Sauté & Soup Base

30g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 sprigs thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme (optional)
2 celery stalks, chopped (~0.5 x 1.2 cm / 1/5 x 1/2″ pieces)
1 carrot, chopped (~0.5 x 1 cm / 1/5 x 1/2″ pieces)
4 tbsp flour
3 cups full-fat milk (can substitute low fat or non-dairy milk)
2 cups low sodium chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
1 tsp cooking salt

Soup Additions

1 1/3 cups (100g) broken angel hair pasta or similarly small pasta broken into bite-sized pieces
3/4 cup corn kernels (frozen thawed or canned drained)
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp finely chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

Prepare Croutons: Preheat your oven to 180°C (345°F) or 160°C (320°F) fan-forced. Toss the bread cubes with olive oil and a pinch of salt, then bake on a tray for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden and crisp. Cool completely and set aside.
Season Chicken: Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper evenly for flavor.
Cook Bacon: Place bacon strips in a cold, large pot to cover the base. Heat over medium-high and cook bacon until golden and crisp, about 2-3 minutes on the first side and 1.5 minutes on the second. Remove bacon, drain on paper towels, chop finely, and set aside for garnish. Leave bacon fat in the pot for cooking chicken.
Cook Chicken: In the same hot pot with bacon fat, cook chicken for 1.5 minutes on each side until light golden. Remove chicken to a plate. Once cool enough to handle, chop into small 8mm (1/3 inch) cubes.
Sauté Vegetables & Make Soup Base: Lower heat to medium-high. Melt butter in the pot. Add finely diced onion, minced garlic, chopped celery, carrot, and thyme sprigs. Cook for 5 minutes until carrots soften, stirring regularly and avoiding browning the onions. Sprinkle in flour and stir continuously for 1 minute. Slowly pour in milk while stirring to dissolve flour. Then add chicken stock, water, and 1 tsp salt, stirring well to combine.
Simmer Soup: Increase heat to high and bring soup to a simmer. Then reduce heat to lower and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The broth will be thin at this stage but will thicken as pasta cooks.
Cook Pasta and Corn: Turn heat back to high. Add the broken angel hair pasta and corn kernels. Cook for 5 minutes or until pasta is soft, stirring occasionally.
Add Peas and Chicken: In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the frozen peas and chopped chicken pieces including any accumulated juices back into the pot. Stir to combine and warm through.
Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with the crispy chopped bacon, homemade croutons, and sprinkle with chopped parsley if using. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

For extra flavor, you can substitute chicken breasts with boneless thighs for juicier meat.
Use low sodium chicken stock to control salt levels in the soup.
Make sure not to brown the onions during sautéing to keep the soup’s flavor delicate.
The soup might seem thin after adding broth and during simmer, but it thickens as pasta cooks, trust the process.
Croutons can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
If dairy-free, opt for non-dairy milk alternatives like almond or oat milk.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Creamy chicken noodle soup, chicken noodle soup with croutons, homemade chicken soup, chicken pasta soup, creamy chicken and vegetable soup