Macro-friendly recipes the whole family will love!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I remember having chicken soup a lot as a kid. Usually, it was when we were sick, and my mom would heat us up a can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup. It is a classic Ching moms do for their kids when they are sick, as it is pretty easy on the stomach and helps get some fluids into dehydrated little bodies.Online Fitness Coach

Because of this, though, as an adult I never thought to make chicken soup for dinner. I just associated it with being sick! All that changed, however, when I saw this recipe from Sally’s Bake Blog. All of a sudden, chicken soup became exciting again with the addition of some cream and fresh veggies. It quickly became a big family hit, and I also started bringing it to people in our church who needed meals delivered. Everyone has enjoyed its classic flavor and homeyness.

 

The Recipe

When I started macro counting, I knew that this recipe was one that I could adjust to fit my macros more easily. On its own, this recipe was a little low on protein for me, so I decided to up amount of shredded chicken in the recipe. It’s awesome for the additional protein, and it makes it a little bit more of a hearty meal for a family.

Another adjustment I made was to the veggies. I added more celery, carrots, and onion to the mix, as I think it gives more flavor and creates a chunkier soup. Plus, my kids love the veggies in this soup. I’m always looking for a way to give them more.

To help with the carbs, I began by omitting the potato. In my opinion, it didn’t need the potato to still be flavorful, so I opted out of it. I also chose to reduce the amount of noodles in this recipe to save some additional carbs. You can always add more to your liking, but remember it may adjust the macros.

A few notes about this recipe:

  • Make sure you are tasting your soup while you are preparing it to make sure there is enough salt and seasoning (thyme and oregano). The soup gets all its flavor from these seasonings, and, if it doesn’t have enough of it, it can be bland.
  • This soup gets very thick from the noodles after it sits for a while. They soak up a lot of moisture and expand. To make you soup thinner again, you can add more chicken stock to the pot. Or,  you can do as we like to do, and eat it thicker. The consistency is more like a stew, but we love it like this. Bonus: it is less messy for the kids this way.
  • There is a LOT of chicken in this soup. This helps give it a good amount of protein. Feel free to scale back, if desired, but remember it will change the macros.
  • I used the rotisserie chicken macros on MyFitnessPal to log the amount of chicken. Please note, if you use a whole rotisserie chicken, there may not be enough breast meat to make 24 oz of shredded chicken.
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Macro Friendly Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Deliciously creamy and satisfying. Perfect for soup season!

Ingredients

  • 14 g butter (1 tablespoon)
  • 240 g diced carrots (~ 1 and 1/2 cups)
  • 240 g diced celery (~ 1 cup)
  • 240 g diced onion (1 onion)
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 30 g all purpose flour (1/4 cup)
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 9 tsp chicken stock granules + 9 cups of water (or 9 cups of chicken stock. May adjust macros)
  • 680 g cooked and shredded chicken breast (~ 24 ounces, measured using Costco rotisserie chicken breast)
  • 224 g dried noodles of choice (I chose rotini) (3 cups)
  • 240 ml fat free half and half (1 cup)

Instructions

  • In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Saute in the melted butter until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion is translucent, about 5-7 min.
  • Then, sprinkle on the flour and the salt, oregano, and thyme. Stir over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes to cook out the flour taste.
  • Next, add the chicken stock granules and water. Turn heat to high, bring to boil, then reduce the heat to medium and allow the veggies to simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
  • After the vegetables are tender, add in the chicken, half and half, and noodles. Give everything a good stir and then taste the soup. Add seasonings, if needed. I always add in more oregano and thyme and usually salt. Then allow the soup to cook for about 10-15 minutes or so, or until the noodles are tender. Taste the soup again to make sure it is seasoned to your liking!
  • Ladle the soup into bowls and serve! Goes perfect with fresh bread and a salad, too!

Notes

Macros for 1/8 of the recipe are 5F/ 35C/28P.
 
To find the recipe on MyFitnessPal, search for "How We Macro Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup."