Description
A comforting and creamy chicken noodle soup featuring tender chicken breast, sweet corn, peas, and angel hair pasta in a rich broth, topped with crunchy homemade mini croutons and crispy bacon for added texture and flavor. Perfect for a cozy meal that’s ready in 40 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Bacon
- 400g/10oz chicken breast (2 small, cut in half horizontally to form 2 thin steaks) (substitute boneless thighs if preferred)
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tbsp black pepper
- 4 strips streaky bacon (enough to cover base of pot)
Soup Base
- 30g/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 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)
- 4 tbsp flour
- 3 cups milk (full fat preferred, low fat or non-dairy alternatives okay)
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock/broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp cooking salt
Pasta and Vegetables
- 1 1/3 cups (100g) broken angel hair pasta (or broken spaghetti or other small spoon-able pasta)
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 tsp finely chopped parsley (optional)
Mini Croutons
- 1 cup bread (crustless), cut into 7mm / 1/4″ cubes (sourdough or sandwich bread)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Pinch cooking salt / kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare Croutons and Crispy Bacon: Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Toss the bread cubes with olive oil and a pinch of salt, spread evenly on a baking tray. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden and crisp. Allow to cool completely, then set aside.
- Season the Chicken: Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tbsp black pepper evenly to season.
- Cook the Bacon: Place bacon strips in a single layer in a cold large pot. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook until golden on both sides (about 2-3 minutes on the first side, and 1.5 minutes on the second). Remove bacon and drain on paper towels; it will crisp as it cools. Finely chop the bacon and set aside for garnish. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.
- Cook the Chicken: In the same hot pot with bacon fat, cook the chicken for 1.5 minutes on each side until lightly golden. Remove and once cool, chop into small 8 mm (1/3 inch) cubes.
- Make the Soup Base: Lower heat to medium-high. Melt butter in the pot. Add diced onion, minced garlic, chopped celery, carrot, and thyme sprigs. Cook for about 5 minutes until carrots soften, stirring regularly and preventing browning of onions. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Add Liquids: Slowly pour in the milk while stirring to dissolve the flour. Then add chicken stock, water, and 1 tsp salt. Stir well to combine.
- Simmer: Bring the soup to a simmer over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup might seem thin now, but it will thicken as the pasta cooks.
- Cook Pasta and Add Vegetables: Increase heat to high and add the broken angel hair pasta and corn kernels to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Add frozen peas and chopped chicken (with any juices) during the last 2 minutes to warm through.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped crispy bacon, homemade croutons, and a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley if using. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- You can use boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts for a juicier texture.
- If using sourdough bread for croutons, baking time may be slightly longer to achieve desired crispness.
- To make this soup dairy free, substitute milk with a plant-based milk such as almond or oat milk.
- The soup thickens as the pasta cooks; don’t be alarmed if it looks thin initially.
- Use low sodium chicken stock to manage the salt level more accurately.
- Leftover soup keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days and freezes well for up to 1 month.
