Creamy Crack Chicken Noodle Soup (scratch recipe)
This creamy Crack Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is absolutely addictive! It’s a creamy homemade soup with tons of flavor and tender chicken. A one-pot meal!
Any time I was sick as a kid, my Mom made me homemade chicken noodle soup! This creamy soup recipe was inspired by my Mom’s chicken noodle soup, with a creamy twist! I think this is the type of recipe that the whole family will eat, even your picky eaters. This creamy crack chicken noodle soup is BIG hit at our house!Â
Before I get into the recipe, I have to know. Have you ever made crack chicken? Crockpot crack chicken is a super easy way to cook chicken, and it’s SO good! The chicken is slow cooked in a crock pot with cream cheese, ranch seasoning and sometimes bacon and cheese.
When I developed this creamy crack chicken soup recipe, I married the techniques that you use to make traditional chicken noodle soup with the flavors of crack chicken.
As an added bonus, this recipe does not call for canned soup (like cream of chicken). You can get a nice, creamy texture without it. I promise!
This is not your typical chicken noodle soup! My husband described it as “chicken noodle soup with FLAVOR.” You can make this recipe on the stove top in just one pot, and is ready for you in less than 30 minutes.
It’s the perfect recipe to throw together on cold winter days when you’re craving comfort in bowl form!
Wondering what the secret ingredient is? Well, it’s ranch seasoning! Everything in this recipe combines beautifully, but the dry ranch seasoning gives it that “it” factor. Don’t worry, this easy soup recipe does NOT just taste like a bowl of ranch! The flavor is complex and hard to pin down.Â
I used store-bought egg noodles for this soup, but feel free to use another type of noodle OR go homemade with this 3 Ingredient Egg Noodles recipe!
Looking for other chicken recipes? Check out all of my chicken recipes on Blackberry Babe.
Recipe Substitutions:
This delicious soup is a forgiving recipe that does allow for some substitutions! I think it’s always better to use what you have on hand.
- Substitute chicken stock, vegetable broth or turkey broth for the chicken broth.
- Substitute green peas (or add them) for the carrots or celery.
- If you make your own homemade ranch seasoning, you can absolutely substitute it for the store-bought ranch mix!
- For the milk, I used 2%. But, you could use whole milk or even heavy cream for added richness!
- If you save bacon grease, you can use it in place of the olive oil for extra flavor. A great flavor booster if you’re cooking your own bacon to top the soup!Â
- You can substitute gluten-free noodles, but I do recommend cooking them 2-3 minutes less than package instructions since they tend to fall apart!
Looking for another hearty soup recipe? I recommend my Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Barley Soup (8+ Vegetables)
For this easy recipe, you’ll need about 3 cups of cooked chicken breasts or thigh meat. This gives you a wonderful opportunity to use leftover chicken! You can also use store-bought rotisserie chicken, or leftover turkey meat. I like to shred my chicken, but it’s totally fine to cube it, too.
For the veggies, I used the classic chicken noodle soup options; onion, carrot and celery! But, I think this is a flexible recipe that can use up the odd veggies you have laying around the house.
Regardless of what veggies you use, you’ll want to dice them into small pieces. Ideally, your veggie should be small enough that it can easily share a spoon with all of the other ingredients!Â
Serving Suggestions:
Top each cozy bowl of soup with diced chives, shredded sharp cheddar cheese and crispy bacon bits! I like to also put some oyster crackers or saltine crackers in the mix.
For a spicy kick, you can top your soup with pepper jack cheese or sliced jalapenos!
For side dishes, I think this creamy chicken noodle soup is perfect when served with crusty bread and a crisp green salad!
Storing Leftover Crack Chicken Noodle Soup:
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
If you’re planning to freeze this soup, you may want to use traditional pasta rather than egg noodles. Angel hair pasta, spaghetti noodles, rotini noodles or penne would work well!Â
Crack Chicken Noodle Soup
This creamy Crack Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is absolutely addictive! It's a creamy homemade soup packed with tons of flavor and tender chicken. A one-pot meal!
Ingredients
Step 1: Saute veggies
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- ½ cup celery, diced
Step 2: Add seasonings and broth
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups chicken broth
Step 3: Cook noodles
- 8 ounces egg noodles
Step 4: Remaining ingredients
- 3 cups cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 2 cups milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (see notes)
Toppings (optional)
- diced green onions
- shredded cheddar cheese
- diced, cooked bacon
Instructions
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil on medium high heat.
- Add the diced vegetables and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Add the remaining one teaspoon of olive oil, then the flour, ranch dressing mix, garlic powder and black pepper. Stir to form a bit of a paste, coating the veggies.
- Next, add the chicken broth, and allow to come to a boil.
- Add the egg noodles and boil for 5-6 minutes until the noodles are cooked.
- Reduce the heat to low, and add chicken pieces and milk. Stir to incorporate.
- Finally, add the softened cream cheese. Allow to melt into the soup stirring occasionally until completely melted, about 4-5 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Notes
You may need to adjust the cooking time for your noodles based on the package instructions. I like to cook them for 1-2 minutes less than the package instructs, because they will continue to soften while you add the rest of the ingredients.Â
You really want your cream cheese at room temperature (or very close to it) before adding it! If it's still cold, it will curdle and make little white blobs in your soup.
To get the cream cheese to the right temp, you can place the cream cheese (still in its foil wrapper) in a bowl of warm water. Or, set it out on the counter about an half hour before you start the recipe.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 514Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 191mgSodium 1894mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 2gSugar 9gProtein 41g
I made this Creamy Crack Chicken Soup yesterday for dinner and made a green salad to serve with it. It was very tasty and we enjoyed this different way to make chicken noodle soup!
So glad it turned out for you! 🙂