Chicken Corn Soup
Published September 14, 2023
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Homestyle Chicken Corn Soup! A super cozy soup made with noodles (or homemade rivels), tender browned chicken, sweet corn, salty bacon, plenty of veggies and a lightly creamy broth. Such a satisfying soup to make year round!
Chicken Noodle Soup with Corn and Bacon!
Can you add corn to chicken noodle soup? Absolutely and it makes such a delicious soup!
That’s just what you get in this soup recipe. It’s like chicken noodle soup upgraded with fresh juicy corn, plus we dot it in some bacon and blend in some cream for good measure.
It’s also similar to a chowder, and it’s adaptable to what you have on hand (as usual see ideas below). For instance you can replace bacon with ham or make this Pennsylvania Dutch style with homemade mini dumplings called rivels in place of noodles (making the soup completely from scratch!).
Pair it with a slice of buttered homemade bread and a simple garden fresh salad with a homemade herby ranch for the most comforting homestyle dinner!
Chicken Corn Soup Recipe Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Meat: Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, cooked bacon
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetables: Yellow onion, carrots, celery, garlic, fresh corn
- Herbs: Bay leaves, thyme, parsley
- Liquid: Low sodium chicken broth, heavy cream
- Dried old fashioned egg noodles
How to Make Chicken Corn Soup
- Heat pot, prep chicken: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Dab thighs dry with paper towels, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Brown chicken: Sear in pot until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate leaving oil in pot.
- Saute veggies: Add onion, carrots, and celery to pot. Saute 3 minutes, add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.
- Add broth, seasonings: Pour in chicken broth then return chicken to pot along with stripped corn cobs, bay leaves and thyme. Season soup with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer soup: Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Remove corn cobs and discard
- Shred chicken: Remove chicken and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes then shred.
- Cook corn and noodles: Add corn kernels and egg noodles to soup. Simmer, covered, for amount of time listed on noodles package (usually about 14 to 20 minutes).
- Stir in cream: Return to chicken to soup, add cream and parsley. Taste soup for more salt as needed.
- Finish with bacon: Remove bay leaves. Pour servings into bowls and add bacon to each.
Possible Variations
- Use homemade chicken stock for an even more flavorful soup.
- Try with cooked ham in place of bacon.
- Substitute other vegetables in place of those here (peas, asparagus, zucchini, bell peppers).
- Use cooked rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey to make soup easier and faster.
- For a creamier soup add another 1/2 cup cream, or try replacing cream with a brick of softened cream cheese for a slight tang.
- Frozen corn will work in place of fresh (keep in mind it will just lack a bit of freshness).
- Rivels or homemade egg noodles can be used in place of store-bought (see below for directions to rivels. Adjust time accordingly with homemade noodles).
How to Make Homemade Rivels for Chicken Corn Soup
I’ve also made this soup with homemade rivels (mini dumplings) which is a delicious Amish-style option. If doing so just plan on a bit of extra time.
Here’s how to prepare them:
- Mix 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour with 1/4 tsp salt.
- Add 2 eggs and stir until mixture comes together, add 1 to 2 Tbsp water if needed to bring together.
- Gently knead dough several times to bring together well.
- Tear small pea size portions from dough (or alternately cut with a large pastry cutter dusted with flour), and add to soup.
- Cook rivels for the last 20 minutes in the soup.
How to Store
- Store soup in an airtight container once it’s cooled down a bit (no more than 2 hours at room temperature).
- Soup keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Or store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating
- Soup can be reheated on the stovetop in a pot over medium high heat. Stir occasionally.
- Or reheat individual servings in the microwave.
- Reheating soup in a slow cooker is not recommended as this is not food safe.
What to Serve with This Soup
Follow Easy Cooking Zone
Chicken Corn Soup
A super cozy soup made with noodles (or homemade rivels), tender browned chicken, sweet corn, salty bacon, plenty of veggies and a lightly creamy broth. Such a satisfying soup to make year round!
Servings: 6 (about 12 cups)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 lb. bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, skins removed, excess fat trimmed
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 3/4 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots (about 4 medium)
- 1 cup chopped celery (about 3 ribs)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 4 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth (7.5 cups)
- 3 ears fresh corn (3 cups corn)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
- 2 cups (heaping, 4.5 oz) old fashioned egg noodles*
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 6 slices bacon, cooked, chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Dab thighs dry with paper towels, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Sear thighs in pot until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate leaving oil in pot.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery to pot. Saute 3 minutes, add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.
- Pour in chicken broth then return chicken to pot along with stripped corn cobs, bay leaves and thyme. Season soup with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Remove corn cobs and discard, remove chicken and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes then shred.
- Meanwhile add corn kernels and egg noodles to soup. Simmer, covered, for amount of time listed on noodles package (usually about 14 to 20 minutes).
- Return to chicken to soup, add cream and parsley. Taste soup for more salt as needed.
- Remove bay leaves. Pour servings into bowls and garnish with bacon.
Notes
- *Homemade rivels (mini dumplings) can be used in place of egg noodles. To make them mix 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour with 1/4 tsp salt. Add 2 eggs and stir until mixture comes together, add 1 to 2 Tbsp water if needed. Gently knead dough several times to bring together well. Tear small pea size portions from dough and add to soup. Cook about 20 minutes.
- *Note that these are not just the regular egg noodles used here these are the long, flat noodles (not spirals). The spiral egg noodles cook faster. You could substitute those but you'd need to wait until closer to the end to add them so they don't over-cook and get soggy.
- Frozen corn can be used in place of fresh if needed. Just omit step of using corn cobs for additional flavor.
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Corn Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 529
Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Trans Fat 0.1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 9g
Cholesterol 155mg52%
Sodium 953mg41%
Potassium 1196mg34%
Carbohydrates 45g15%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 33g66%
Vitamin A 10760IU215%
Vitamin C 22mg27%
Calcium 104mg10%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.