Creamy chicken noodle soup with mini croutons
User Reviews
5
Creamy chicken noodle soup with mini croutons
Description
Creamy chicken noodle soup with mini croutons starts by crisping bacon in a pot, cooking chicken in the flavorful fat, and then sautéing aromatic vegetables like onion, garlic, carrot, and celery with butter. Flour is used to make a roux which thickens the broth enriched with milk, chicken stock, and water. Angel hair pasta and peas are added towards the end to cook until tender. The soup is seasoned with salt, pepper, and optional herbs.
The finished soup presents a creamy, velvety texture with tender noodles and chunks of chicken. The salty bacon bits provide smoky notes contrasted by the sweetness of corn and peas. Mini croutons, baked from cubed bread tossed with olive oil and salt, add a crisp topping. This combination balances softness in the soup with crunchy garnish for texture variety.
Angel hair pasta cut into short lengths cooks quickly, making this soup practical for a speedy yet hearty meal. The soup base allows for variations of vegetables as desired. Bacon fat provides depth but lean bacon with added oil works as well. Separating pasta and chicken if storing leftovers prevents sogginess and maintains best texture when reheated.
Ingredients
- 400g/10oz chicken breast (2 small), cut in half horizontally to form 2 thin steaks (sub boneless thighs)
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt or cooking salt
- 1/4 tbsp black pepper
Soup:
- 4 Bacon enough to cover base of pot, strips, streaky
- 30g/ 2 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1/2 onion , finely diced
- 2 garlic finely minced, cloves
- 2 thyme optional, sprigs or 1/2 tsp dried
- 2 celery chopped (~0.5 x 1.2 cm / 1/5 x 1/2" pieces, stalks
- 1 carrot , chopped (0.5 x 1 cm / 1/5 x 1/2" pieces)
- 3/4 cup corn kernels (frozen thawed or canned drained)
- 4 tbsp flour
- 3 cups milk , full fat best but low fat ok (non-dairy ok too)
- 2 cups chicken stock low sodium
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt cooking
- 1 1/3 cups (100g) angel hair pasta OR angel hair pasta / spaghetti broken into 6 pieces, or other small, spoon-able pasta, broken
- 3/4 cup peas frozen
- 1/2 tsp parsley optional, finely chopped
Mini croutons:
- 1 cup bread (crustless) cut into 7mm / 1/4" cubes - sourdough type is crunchier, regular sandwich bread is fine too
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Pinch kosher salt or cooking salt
Instructions
Croutons & crispy bacon
- Croutons - Preheat the oven to 180°C/3450°F (160°C fan-forced). Toss the bread with the oil and salt. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing halfway, until golden and fully crisp (some breads take longer eg sourdough). Cool on the tray, set aside.
- Season chicken - Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the salt and pepper.
- Crispy bacon - Place the bacon in a single layer in an un-heated, large pot. Turn the heat onto medium high then cook the bacon until golden on both sides (~2-3 minutes first side, 1 1/2 minutes second side). (Note 2). Remove bacon (leave fat in pot), drain on paper towels. It will crisp as it cools. Finely chop, set aside for garnish.
The soup
- Cook chicken - Using the same pot, still hot, cook the chicken in the tasty bacon fat for 1 1/2 minutes on each side until light golden. Remove onto a plate. Once cool enough to handle, chop into small 8 mm / 1/3" cubes.
- Broth - Lower heat to medium high. In the same pot, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, thyme sprigs. Cook 5 minutes until the carrot is softened, stirring regularly (don’t let the onion brown). Add flour and stir for 1 minute. While stirring, slowly pour the milk in. Once the flour is dissolved, add the stock, water and salt, then stir.
- Simmer - Turn the heat up to high and bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring every now and then. (The soup will seem thin, it thickens as the pasta cooks. Trust!)
- Pasta - Turn the heat back up to high. Add the pasta and corn. Cook for 5 minutes or until pasta is soft, adding the peas and chicken (including any juices pooled) for the last 2 minutes of cook time.
- Serve - Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with bacon, croutons and a pinch of parsley. Eat!
Notes
- Cut angel hair pasta into short pieces or use small pasta suitable for soup to ensure quick, even cooking.
- Using streaky bacon avoids adding extra oil, as bacon fat cooks the ingredients; lean bacon requires some oil.
- Vegetables like corn and peas can be swapped with other preferred varieties.
- For leftovers, separate pasta, chicken, and vegetables from broth to prevent pasta absorbing too much liquid and becoming mushy.
- Soup can keep 3-4 days in the fridge and up to 3 months frozen when stored properly.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 5Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 462 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 462cal | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | 42g | 14% |
| Protein | 28g | 56% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Trans Fat | 0.2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 78mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 956mg | 40% |
| Potassium | 774mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
| Vitamin A | 2628IU | 53% |
| Vitamin C | 12mg | 13% |
| Calcium | 228mg | 23% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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