Description

This creamy chicken noodle soup with mini croutons is a comforting and flavorful dish perfect for any day. Tender chicken breast cooked in crispy bacon fat combined with sautéed vegetables, milk, and chicken stock creates a rich, creamy broth. The delicate broken angel hair pasta, sweet corn, and peas are cooked directly in the soup for added texture and taste. Crispy homemade mini croutons and finely chopped bacon garnish add delightful crunch and savory notes, making this a well-balanced and satisfying meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken and Protein

400g/10oz chicken breast (2 small, cut in half horizontally to form 2 thin steaks) or boneless thighs
4 strips streaky bacon (enough to cover base of pot)

Vegetables and Aromatics

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)
3/4 cup corn kernels (frozen thawed or canned drained)
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp finely chopped parsley (optional)

Dairy and Liquids

30g/2 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp flour
3 cups milk (full fat preferred, low fat or non-dairy ok)
2 cups low sodium chicken stock/broth
2 cups water

Others

1 1/3 cups (100g) broken angel hair pasta (or spaghetti broken into 6 pieces, or other small spoonable pasta)
1 cup bread (crustless) cut into 7mm / 1/4″ cubes (sourdough or regular sandwich bread)
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/4 tsp cooking salt (divided)
– 1/4 tsp for chicken seasoning
– 1 tsp for soup
– pinch for croutons
1/4 tbsp black pepper

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Instructions

Prepare Croutons: Preheat your oven to 180°C/345°F (160°C fan). Toss the bread cubes with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread evenly on a baking tray and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing halfway through until golden and crispy. Remove and cool on the tray before setting aside.
Season Chicken: Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tbsp black pepper evenly to season well.
Cook Bacon: Place the streaky bacon strips in a single layer in a cold large pot. Turn heat to medium-high and cook the bacon until golden on both sides, about 2-3 minutes on the first side and 1 1/2 minutes on the second. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels to crisp as it cools. Finely chop for garnish and leave the fat in the pot.
Cook Chicken: In the same pot with hot bacon fat, cook the seasoned chicken breasts for 1 1/2 minutes per side until lightly golden and cooked through. Remove from pot and set aside to cool. Once cooled, chop the chicken into small 8 mm (1/3 inch) cubes.
Make the Broth Base: Lower heat to medium-high. Melt the unsalted butter in the pot with bacon fat. Add diced onion, minced garlic, chopped celery, chopped carrot, and thyme sprigs. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes until vegetables soften but the onion does not brown. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux. Gradually pour in the milk while stirring constantly to dissolve the flour. Add chicken stock, water, and 1 tsp salt, stirring to combine.
Simmer Soup: Increase heat to high and bring to a gentle simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup will be thin at this point but will thicken as the pasta cooks.
Cook Pasta and Vegetables: Turn heat back up to high and add broken angel hair pasta and corn kernels to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes or until pasta is tender. In the last 2 minutes, add frozen peas and the chopped chicken along with any accumulated juices, allowing them to warm through.
Serve: Ladle the creamy chicken noodle soup into bowls. Sprinkle the finely chopped crispy bacon, homemade croutons, and a pinch of chopped parsley on top for garnish. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

If preferred, boneless chicken thighs may be used instead of breasts for a juicier texture.
For extra flavor, leave the thyme sprigs in the soup while simmering and remove before serving.
The soup thickens as the pasta cooks; trust the process to achieve the perfect creamy consistency.
Sourdough bread produces crunchier croutons but regular sandwich bread works well too.
Low sodium stock is recommended to better control salt levels in the soup.