Chicken Noodle Crack Soup
Creamy, cheesy, and rich, this crack chicken noodle soup is sure to be a winner with your entire family.
Servings: 8
Calories: 584kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 medium carrot, diced into thin half slices (about ½ cup)
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped (¼ cup)
- ½ small yellow onion, finely minced (about ¼ cup)
- 9 cups water
- 8 ounces thin spaghetti, vermicelli or angel hair pasta
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
- 1 ounce Ranch seasoning
- 1 packet top ramen seasoning
- 2 cups rotisserie or cooked chicken, chopped
- 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
- fresh parsley, for optional garnish
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add diced carrots, celery, and onions. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until the onion softens.
- Add 8 cups of water and bring the 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 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 a packet of top ramen seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Add in chicken, crumbled bacon, and finely chopped parsley if desired.
- Taste the soup and add the remaining cup of water if needed for a thinner or less rich soup. Continue simmering to desired consistency. Please note, the soup will thicken as it cools or after lengthy simmering. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- You could use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken you pick up at the grocery store for an even quicker prep time.
- For a richer soup, you can use less water.
- Reserve some of the bacon to sprinkle over the top for an added crunch.
- The soup thickens substantially after being 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 dry ranch mix 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 584kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 923mg | Potassium: 281mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2093IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 249mg | Iron: 1mg