I always seem to catch colds at the most inconvenient times.
I know — getting sick is never really convenient.
But seriously! I caught a little cold last week four days before heading to Wisconsin for the Kohler Food & Wine Experience, which I figured would be NBD because four days is a totally reasonable amount of time to kick a cold. Right? Oh no. A day after returning home from an amazing weekend of said eating and drinking, I’m still sniffling away.
I even ended up being “that girl” on the plane ride home who conveniently fell into a 5 minute coughing fit just as the plane landed. You know — that tense moment when everyone is stuck sitting in their seats without any portable electronic handheld devises to keep them company, itching to stand up and grab those bags that might have shifted during takeoff, while the seatbelt sign is clearly illuminated — barring me from getting up to grab a drink of water, Sprite, anything that would stop the coughing?!? Oh yes. I don’t think even screaming babies get shot as many dagger looks as that girl who is clearly going to infect the entire plane with nothing less than The Plague.
But alas, the one convenient thing about this cold was that I had been craving some creamy chicken noodle soup, and actually had all of the ingredients ready to go on the day that I felt the worst. And some of those leftovers were conveniently still waiting for me when I arrived home. It must have been meant to be.
For years, I had been looking for a way to “lighten up” creamy chicken soup. I had tried versions using milk or half and half, with so-so results. But when I saw that my friend Monica made a version with evaporated milk, I knew it was brilliant! I have been using evaporated milk to lighten up macaroni and cheese this past year, so was stoked to try it in a soup. Sure enough, the “skinny” version of this creamy chicken noodle soup recipe was a total success! The broth was wonderfully creamy and flavorful, and definitely hit the spot.
And speaking of “convenience”, it’s ready to go in about half and hour. Can’t beat that on a day when you’re rushed and not feeling well.
Comfort food at its best. :)
(Skinny!) Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup flour
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 2 cups uncooked egg noodles or pasta (I used “wide” egg noodles)
- 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated skim milk
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- (optional garnish) chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Saute onion, carrots, and celery for 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Sprinkle flour over vegetables, and cook and stir for an additional minute. Gradually stir in broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10-15 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients, and stir to combine. Cook for 10 minutes or until noodles are al dente. Season with additional salt and pepper or seasonings if needed.
- Serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
I’ve made this soup four times now and it gets better each time I make it. I used low fat evaporated milk and could not tell a difference. Made it for a neighbor after surgery recently and she loved it. I’m not much of a cook but I came across this recipe looking for something to do with left over christmas turkey and really glad I did. Works we’ll for turkey or chicken. Thanks!
I just made this and it was fabulous beyond belief! Because I didn’t have a large enough pot, I had to halve the recipe – for the chicken, I first seasoned it with salt and pepper and then boiled it before pulling it apart. This was delish and will be a go-to recipe in the future! YUM and thanks for sharing!
I would love to know the nutritional values as well, maybe Sodium, Fat, Calories.
Thank you
I was wondering if you had the nutritional information for this recipe?
Christa~
I have had bad luck with soups in the past, but this one came out great! I halved the recipe and it made enough for 2 dinners and 2 lunches. Thanks for a great recipe!
I made this tonight. Oh my word. SO great!! Such a hearty soup! My husband literally just said “It was so good, and filling! I loved it!!” Thanks Ali!!! Will definitely be making this again! Plenty of leftovers for lunches, too!!
I made your soup this evening and I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it!! Just a great blend of flavors. The creamy texture is perfect and so much more enjoyable than just a broth base. Thank you for sharing!
I made this for tonight. I used home made chicken stock. Could not believe how creamy and delicious this soup was. Talk about comfort food. Just incredible. Will definitely be making this soup again soon.
Thanks
Cheryl
After an entire weekend of Thanksgiving fare, my husband proclaimed that this soup was the best thing he had to eat. Thanks for a great recipe! Oh….for the record… we had Thanksgiving at my sisters!
OMG this is so good. My whole family loved it!!!! I will be making this again for sure. Thanks for a low calorie cream soup.LLK