Battle cold and flu season and warm up with this 30 Minute Feel Better Chicken Soup, loaded with secret ingredients! Warm, thick, creamy, but only 412 calories (6 SP) per serving! 
Cold and flu season is in full force here in Ohio and almost every person we interact with either has some strain of sickness or is still recovering from one. Add that to the fact that the weather has been particularly aggressive lately (thanks, Elsa) and you may guess that Ohio is extra miserable right now.
So how do we cope? We plan beach vacations, buy big fluffy blankets, and eat piping hot soup on the couch. Then we repeat that cycle until June.
My house is no exception and Andrew and I took turns with a bad chest cold and a stomach bug, respectively. We skipped our normal dinners of steak or chicken with roasted veggies and vegged out on this homemade chicken noodle soup, instead. I found this recipe on Pinterest and Steph from Plain Chicken named it “Crack Chicken Noodle Soup,” which is an incredibly accurate title. This soup has a few secret ingredients that will blow your go-to chicken noodle soup recipe out of the (boiling) water!
30 MINUTE FEEL BETTER CHICKEN SOUP
412 calories (6 SP)
I mean, I feel better and warmer just looking at this soup. The best part is how easy it is to make and that it only takes 30 minutes! I made this while sick and still thought it was ridiculously simple. And I was happy it didn’t take an hour like some soups because I may have fallen into a stomach bug coma while it simmered!
For this soup, all you have to do is heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat and add in 1 (10.75 oz) can of condensed cheese soup (I used Campbell’s Healthy Request), 6 C of chicken broth (I used low sodium), 1 C of milk (I used skim), 1 (1 oz) package of dry ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix, 1/4 C cooked and chopped bacon, 2 chopped carrots and 2 chopped celery stalks. You’ll also need to add in 3 C of shredded chicken. I used a rotisserie chicken as the recipe called for because it was easy and easy was exactly what I needed!
Bring all of the ingredients to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes until the carrots and celery are softened.
Add in 8 oz of noodles (I used medium egg noodles) and 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese. Cook for 5-10 minutes until noodles are done.
Serve immediately and enjoy! 🙂
The leftovers are just as delicious and can be reheated easily in the microwave for couch and fluffy blanket dinners all week! I do recommend adding a little chicken broth before reheating, as the leftovers turn into more of a stroganoff consistency than soup!
If you’re looking for some more easy couch dinner options to keep you warm this winter, check out this Crockpot Chili and it’s spicier sister Chicken Mexi-Chili!
- 1 (10.75 oz) can of condensed cheese soup (I used Campbell's Healthy Request)
- 6 C of chicken broth (I used low sodium)
- 1 C of milk (I used skim)
- 1 (1 oz) package of dry ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
- ¼ C cooked, chopped bacon
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small discs
- 2 celery stalks, chopped into small pieces
- 3 C shredded chicken (you can use a rotisserie chicken, just don't include the skin)
- 8 oz noodles (I used medium egg noodles)
- ½ C shredded cheddar cheese
- Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat and add in cheese soup, chicken broth, mlik, ranch seasoning mix, bacon, carrots, celery and chicken.
- Bring all of the ingredients to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes until the carrots and celery are softened.
- Add in noodles and cheddar cheese. Cook for 5-10 minutes until noodles are done.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Add a little chicken broth to your leftovers before reheating to maintain a soup consistency.
**Recipe adapted from Steph at Plain Chicken
What do you think? Did this recipe make the cut for you or did it crumble? What would you do differently? I look forward to reading your opinions! 
