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With tender chunks of chicken, earthy mushrooms, broccoli florets and plenty of egg noodles in a rich and creamy broth this Creamy Chicken Divan Soup turns one of our favorite family dinners into a warming bowlful of soup that is substantial enough to serve by itself!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Is The Coziest Soup Recipe
- Chicken Divan is one of my families favorite casseroles served over egg noodles, so it seemed like a no-brainer to turn it into a rich, creamy soup packed with juicy chunks of chicken, tender mushrooms and broccoli florets, with the aforementioned noodles cooked right in the soup.
- Because it uses sour cream instead of cream, there is tanginess to cut through the creaminess to make sure you don’t feel like you’ve been eating too much rich food by the end of the bowl.
- There is less than 30 minutes active time in this soup recipe, and as it is a complete one-pot meal it’s the perfect cozy family dinner simple enough to put together after a day at work.
- It may have sour cream, butter and cheese, but because this chicken divan soup is made from scratch rather than using canned cream of mushroom soup like in the original casserole, it’s still actually a relatively healthy meal!
If you love this Chicken Divan Soup, check out my original Chicken Divan recipe!
What I Learned Testing This Recipe
- Dredging the chicken in seasoned flour and searing it first gives the best texture and flavor. Without this step I’ve found the chicken can be a bit flabby in the soup. Also, the flour also helps thicken the soup — without it it would be a little too watery.
- Searing the chicken thighs whole and cutting them afterwards helps keep them moist and prevents them from drying out in the pan.
- Don’t let the soup boil after you’ve added the sour cream, as this will cause the soup to split. Been there, done that!
Ingredient
Flour – This helps thicken the soup in a natural way as well as helps get the chicken nice and brown.
Skinless boneless chicken thighs – You could use chicken breast, but I find that chicken thighs stay perfectly moist and juicy in the soup with no risk of them drying out. Rotisserie chicken would also work added at the end, you’ll need about 1 pound.
Cooking oil – I’ve used both avocado and olive oil testing this recipe.
Butter – Cooking the mushrooms in butter helps build those signature rich Chicken Divan flavors!
Mushrooms – Any fresh mushrooms will work here, sliced.
Garlic – Fresh is preferred as it gives the best flavor, but pre-minced would also work fine.
Chicken broth – I prefer to cook with low sodium broth as it lets me control the amount of salt in the rest of the recipe. Chicken will give the best flavor, but vegetable broth can be used in a pinch.
Dried basil – I love the taste of dried basil in anything chicken divan related, but I know it is not the most common dried herb in the spice rack; dried thyme would be a decent substitute.
Broccoli florets – Cut into bite sized pieces, fresh or frozen!
Sour cream – This will both make the soup creamy and give it that signature chicken divan taste!
Grated Parmesan cheese – Grate your own as pre-grated cheese comes covered with anti-caking agents which often make sauces and soups a bit gluey. Yuck!
Dried egg noodles – To make the soup a meal! I’ve used egg noodles as I usually serve chicken divan over egg noodles, but any pasta shape should work.
Serving and Storage Suggestions
With chunks of chicken, veggies and plenty of egg noodles a bowl of this soup is a complete meal, but I’ll never say no to crusty bread for dunking or a salad on the side!
Leftovers will last in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, but you’ll need to add a little more liquid to leftovers to replace the liquid that would have been absorbed by the noodles in the fridge. If you know you’re going to get leftovers and you want to avoid the noodles getting too soft, cook them separately and add them to portions of soup as needed.
Heat through on the stovetop without letting the liquid boil, as this may cause the sour cream to split. I’d also not recommend freezing this soup for this exact reason!
Frequently Asked Questions
I usually don’t bother to cut down on effort and waste — just wipe them clean and trim the stems if needed. But I find if I get a particually knarly tray at the farmers market peeling them can be the quickest way to clean them. Never wash mushrooms, and they’ll absorb the water and turn slimy.
If you’re breaking down a whole head of broccoli rather than starting with florets this is a great way to cut down on food waste! Simply peel away any tough outer layer and chop the stems into small pieces. Add them at the same time as you add the florets.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Chicken Divan Soup
Ingredients
- ½ cup flour
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons oil of choice I like avocado or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup butter
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 12 ounces broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces, frozen works!
- 16 ounces sour cream
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups dried egg noodles
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs heavily with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a wide bowl and dredge chicken in flour (reserve the remaining flour). Add oil to a large pot over a medium heat. Brown the chicken on both sides til cooked through, about 4-6 minutes per side. Remove chicken. Cut into bite-sized pieces, and set aside.
- Melt the butter in the same cooking pot pot, then add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes, or until browned and softened. Stir in the garlic and sauté until fragrant. This should only take about 30-60 seconds.
- Stir in 1/4 cup of the chicken-dredging flour until lightly browned; this should only take about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Add the dried basil, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and the egg noodles. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the broccoli and cook until the egg noodles are al dente, and the broccoli is fork tender. This should take about 5-10 minutes, depending on the brand of egg noodles you're using.
- Whisk in the sour cream and Parmesan cheese, and return the chicken pieces to the pot to heat through before serving.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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