Description
This creamy chicken noodle soup with mini croutons is a comforting and hearty dish featuring tender chicken, crisp bacon, and fresh vegetables simmered in a rich broth with angel hair pasta. Finished with crunchy homemade croutons and garnished with parsley, it’s perfect for a cozy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasonings
- 400g/10oz chicken breast (2 small, cut in half horizontally to form 2 thin steaks, can substitute boneless thighs)
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tbsp black pepper
Bacon and Fat
- 4 strips streaky bacon (enough to cover base of pot)
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Vegetables and Herbs
- 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)
Thickening and Liquids
- 4 tbsp flour
- 3 cups milk (full fat preferred, low fat or non-dairy alternative okay)
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock/broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp cooking salt
Pasta and Croutons
- 1 1/3 cups (100g) broken angel hair pasta (or angel hair/spaghetti broken into 6 pieces, or other small spoon-able pasta)
- 1 cup bread (crustless, cut into 7mm / 1/4″ cubes – sourdough preferred for crunchiness but regular sandwich bread is fine)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Pinch cooking salt / kosher salt
Instructions
- Croutons & crispy bacon preparation: Preheat your oven to 180°C (345°F) or 160°C (320°F) fan-forced. Toss the bread cubes with olive oil and a pinch of salt, then spread them on a baking tray. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing halfway through until golden and fully crisp. Allow to cool on the tray and set aside.
- Season chicken: Sprinkle both sides of each chicken breast steak with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tbsp black pepper evenly to season.
- Crispy bacon: Place the bacon strips in a single layer in an unheated large pot. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook the bacon for about 2-3 minutes on the first side and 1 1/2 minutes on the second side until golden. Remove the bacon strips and drain on paper towels; they will crisp further as they cool. Finely chop and set aside for garnish. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.
- Cook chicken: In the same pot with the hot bacon fat, cook the chicken steaks for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side until lightly golden. Remove them to a plate and once cool enough to handle, chop into small 8 mm (1/3″) cubes.
- Prepare the broth base: Lower heat to medium-high and melt the butter in the pot. Add diced onion, minced garlic, chopped celery, carrot, and thyme sprigs (if using). Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly to soften the vegetables without browning the onion. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk while stirring to dissolve the flour. Then add chicken stock, water, and 1 tsp salt, stirring thoroughly.
- Simmer the soup: Increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup will appear thin at this stage but will thicken as the pasta cooks.
- Add pasta and corn: Turn heat back to high, add broken angel hair pasta and corn kernels. Cook for 5 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
- Finish cooking: Add frozen peas and chopped chicken (including any pooled juices) during the last 2 minutes of cooking, stirring to combine and heat through.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with the chopped crispy bacon, homemade croutons, and a pinch of chopped parsley if desired. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Sourdough bread makes crunchier croutons but regular sandwich bread works well too.
- Use streaky bacon for best flavor and fat content for cooking the chicken and vegetables.
- The soup may seem thin before pasta is added but thickens as the pasta cooks due to the flour-based roux.
- Non-dairy milk alternatives can be used if preferred, though full-fat milk enriches the soup’s creaminess.
- The thyme is optional but adds a subtle herbal aroma to the broth.
- Ensure to not brown the onions to preserve a sweeter flavor for the soup base.
