Creamy, comforting, and delicious–that’s what you’ll get with this Crack Chicken Noodle Soup recipe! You can’t have enough comfort food recipes in your arsenal when it comes to the cold winter months. This easy soup recipe is the perfect option because it is so hearty and creamy. The combination of noodles, vegetables, and a flavorful cream sauce make this a go-to soup.
Creamy, Crack Chicken Noodle Soup
Crack chicken noodle soup is a favorite at our dinner table. It offers the same comfort and classic flavor as traditional chicken noodle soup, with a creamy twist. It’s warm and hearty and best of all, it’s super easy to make with just 6-step instructions.
I love soup recipes. I love them so much that I’m that crazy lady making soup in the middle of the summer. No shame! However, I will say that my family members tend to enjoy them much more when it’s a chilly fall or cold winter day. That way, we can cozy up to enjoy our warm, comforting bowls of soup.
Why We Love This Crack Chicken Noodle Soup
- Traditional and comforting
- Kid-friendly and approved
- Full of noodles!
- Easy to make
- A quick weeknight dinner
- Delicious as a leftover meal for multiple nights in a row
Ingredients/Shopping List
- Medium carrot
- Yellow onion
- Stalk of celery
- Salted butter
- Water
- Spaghetti
- Cream cheese
- Heavy cream
- Cheddar cheese
- Ranch seasoning
- Rotisserie
- Bacon
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Variations / Options / Add-ins
- Bacon bits: You can make your own bacon and cut it up into bits, or use store-bought, packaged bacon bits.
- Shredded chicken: If I am in a time crunch and I want to skip the step of making and shredding my own chicken, I love to stop at the store and pick up a rotisserie chicken to use in this soup! It adds so much flavor.
- Shredded cheese: You can use any type of shredded cheese that you like. I tend to use whatever I have in the fridge. Colby Jack, mozzarella, and white cheddar are all delicious options!
- Pasta: You could also use thin spaghetti noodles in this recipe. You just want to stick with using a thin noodle so that it cooks properly!
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How to Make Crack Chicken Noodle Soup
It couldn’t be simpler to put this soup together. There are only 6 easy steps needed to make a creamy and delicious dinner that everyone will love!
- Melt butter and add diced carrots, celery, and onions in a stock pot.
- Add water and bring mixture to a boil.
- As soon as the mixture is boiling, add pasta.
Pro-Tip: Stir frequently to prevent noodles from sticking to one another and also to encourage the pasta starch to blend into the broth mixture. - When noodles are cooked, stir in cream cheese pieces and heavy cream.
- Add cheddar cheese and stir until melted and combined.
- Add Ranch seasoning and packet of Top Ramen seasoning.
- Add in chicken, crumbled bacon, and finely chopped parsley, if desired.
- Taste soup and add remaining cup of water if needed for a thinner or less rich soup.
Pro-Tip: Soup will thicken as it cools or after lengthy simmering. Season with salt and pepper to taste. - Serve immediately.
Tips
- Soup thickens substantially after cooked as the starch from the noodles works into the broth. You can add water to thin out the broth, but may need to compensate with additional top ramen seasoning if you add too much.
- Additionally, the ranch seasoning and the Top Ramen seasoning (not to mention the bacon) add quite a bit of salt to the soup, so water can be added to balance the seasoning.
- Reserve some of the bacon to sprinkle over the top for an added crunch.
- For a richer soup, use less water. This soup has plenty of flavor, but it also has a nice classic chicken noodle soup flavor to it. The ranch seasoning, bacon, and cheese give it that touch of “crack chicken” – it makes a nice combo. Super comfort food.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This is a fabulous leftover meal, and it makes a large batch, so typically whenever I make it we have it for a couple days in a row.
- To reheat, you can place leftovers back on the stovetop or simply pop them in the microwave.
Other Easy Comfort Food Recipes
Crack Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves — 8
This crack chicken noodle soup is the perfect option, because it is so hearty and creamy. The combination of noodles, vegetables, and a flavorful cream sauce make this a go-to soup.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Video
Ingredients
- 1 medium carrot diced into thin half slices (about ½ cup)
- ½ small yellow onion finely minced (about ¼ cup)
- 1 stalk of celery finely chopped (¼ cup)
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 9 cups water
- 8 oz thin spaghetti, vermicelli, or angel hair pasta
- 4 ounces cream cheese cut into chunks
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
- 1 oz packet Ranch seasoning
- 2 cups chopped rotisserie or cooked chicken
- 1 pound bacon (cooked and crumbled)
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Melt butter in a stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add diced carrots, celery, and onions. Saute for 2-3 minutes until onion softens.
- Add 8 cups of water and bring mixture to a boil.
- As soon as the mixture is boiling, add pasta. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the pasta is tender. Stir frequently to prevent noodles from sticking to one another and also to encourage the pasta starch to blend into the broth mixture.
- When noodles are cooked, stir in cream cheese pieces and heavy cream. Continue cooking over low, stirring until cream cheese is melted.
- Add cheddar cheese and stir until melted and combined. Add Ranch seasoning and packet of Top Ramen seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Add in chicken, crumbled bacon, and finely chopped parsley, if desired.
- Taste soup and add remaining cup of water if needed for a thinner or less rich soup. Continue simmering to desired consistency. Please note, soup will thicken as it cools or after lengthy simmering. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This is a fabulous leftover meal, and it makes a large batch, so typically whenever I make it we have it for a couple days in a row.
- To reheat: you can place leftovers back on the stovetop or simply pop them in the microwave.
- Soup thickens substantially after cooked as the starch from the noodles works into the broth. You can add water to thin out the broth, but may need to compensate with additional top ramen seasoning if you add too much.
- Additionally, the ranch seasoning and the Top Ramen seasoning (not to mention the bacon) add quite a bit of salt to the soup, so water can be added to balance the seasoning.
- Reserve some of the bacon to sprinkle over the top for an added crunch.
- For a richer soup, use less water. This soup has plenty of flavor, but it also has a nice classic chicken noodle soup flavor to it. The ranch seasoning, bacon, and cheese give it that touch of “crack chicken” – it makes a nice combo. Super comfort food.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 659kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 1160mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1850IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 285mg | Iron: 1mg
Family loves this. Prefer it on the thicker side. Perfect for a cold winter night’s dinner.
So glad it was a hit!
In the instructions it says to add Top Ramen seasoning but it isn’t listed anywhere on the ingredient list. I assume that it would be the chicken flavored Top Ramen?
It’s gluten-free spaghetti was used. Would that make this a gluten-free meal?