This is a brothy, creamy pasta soup built around ground chicken, whole wheat pasta, and a handful of everyday vegetables. It comes together in 40 minutes using one pot for the soup base and one for the pasta. The real reason to make it: it stores well, reheats cleanly, and gives you four solid portions without much effort.
Before you start
Two things actually matter here. First, cook the pasta separately and stop it just short of done — it will keep absorbing liquid once it goes into the soup, and overcooked pasta turns the whole batch to mush by day two. Pull it out while it still has a little resistance in the center. Second, the ground chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) before you add any liquid — never serve ground poultry undercooked or pink. Because the pieces are small and broken up, this happens fast during the sauté step, but give it the full five minutes over medium heat rather than rushing it. Those two habits protect both the texture and the food safety of every portion you make.
Leftovers and meal prep
Store the soup and any remaining cooked pasta separately in airtight containers — combined, the pasta soaks up the broth overnight and the texture suffers. The soup base keeps in the fridge for up to four days and freezes well for up to three months; portion it into individual containers before freezing so you can pull out exactly what you need. The cooked pasta is best used within two days. To reheat, warm the soup base in a saucepan over medium-low heat, add a splash of water or unsalted broth if it has thickened, then stir in your pasta portion and heat until everything is hot through — skip the garnish of fresh celery leaves when reheating, not worth the extra dish.
Mistakes to avoid
- Adding soy milk over high heat. Soy milk splits if it hits a hard boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer before you pour it in, and keep it there until the soup is ready to serve.
- Using too little water in the base. The pasta continues drinking liquid as it sits. Start with the full litre and have a little extra hot water ready — if the soup looks thick before serving, add a splash to loosen it without diluting the flavor much.
- Skipping the nutritional yeast. It is doing real work here, adding savory depth that compensates for the absence of cheese or cream. Leaving it out makes the broth taste flat. If you do not have it, a teaspoon of white miso stirred in at the end is a reasonable substitute.
- Crowding the sauté with wet vegetables. If your carrot or celery pieces are damp, pat them dry before adding them to the pan. Excess moisture causes steaming instead of sautéing, and you lose the small amount of browning that builds flavor in the base.
- Freezing with the pasta already mixed in. Whole wheat pasta does not freeze well once it has been sitting in liquid. Freeze only the soup base and cook or store pasta separately so the texture holds up when you reheat a batch mid-week.
Creamy Chicken Pasta Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
4 cups water - 1 litre- 9 oz whole wheat pasta - about 250g — any short shape such as fusilli, penne, or macaroni
¼ pound ground chicken - 113g, minced chicken
1 medium carrot - cut into small pieces
1 stalk celery - thinly sliced- 2 tablespoons celery leaves - loosely packed, or substitute spring onion greens
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes - not extract
1 medium yellow onion - chopped
1 clove garlic - crushed
2 tablespoons butter - 28g- ¾ cup soy milk - 180ml
1 teaspoon salt - for pasta water, plus additional salt to taste for the soup
Instructions
- Bring 1 litre (4 cups) of water with 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan.4 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and chopped onion, and sauté for 1-2 minutes until the onion is translucent and fragrant.2 tablespoons butter, 1 clove garlic, 1 medium yellow onion
- Add the chicken and stir for about 5 minutes until fully cooked through with no pink remaining.1/4 pound ground chicken
- Add the sliced carrot and celery. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften slightly.1 medium carrot, 1 stalk celery
- Carefully pour the boiling water (1 litre / 4 cups) into the pot with the chicken and vegetables. Stir to combine.4 cups water
- While the soup simmers, cook the pasta in the saucepan of salted boiling water according to package directions until 1 minute short of al dente. Drain and set aside.9 oz whole wheat pasta
- Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the soy milk and nutritional yeast flakes. Let the soup heat through until just simmering — do not boil vigorously or the soy milk may curdle. Add the celery leaves and stir gently.3/4 cup soy milk, 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes, 2 tablespoons celery leaves
- Turn the heat off immediately so the leaves stay vibrant. Divide the cooked pasta among serving bowls and ladle the hot soup over the top. Season with additional salt to taste.9 oz whole wheat pasta, 1 teaspoon salt
Notes
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use a different type of pasta?
Yes — any short pasta shape works fine. Fusilli, penne, or macaroni all hold up well in a brothy soup and are easy to portion into containers for the week.
Can I swap the ground chicken for another protein?
Ground turkey is the closest substitute and works without changing anything else. If you use ground beef or pork, cook to 160°F (71°C) and expect a slightly richer, heavier broth.
Can I use regular dairy milk instead of soy milk?
Yes, whole milk or 2% milk works as a direct swap. Use the same quantity and add it the same way — over low heat to avoid curdling.
How do I keep the soup from getting too thick in the fridge overnight?
Store the pasta separately from the soup base. The pasta is what absorbs the liquid and causes the thick, stodgy texture by the next day.
Can I make a larger batch and freeze individual portions?
Absolutely — the soup base doubles or triples without any issues. Freeze it flat in zip-lock bags or in individual containers for up to three months, and cook fresh pasta when you are ready to eat.
What to cook next
- Creamy Beef Spinach Pasta
- Hearty Beef Kale Soup
- Chicken Macadamia Sausage Rolls
- Andean Chicken Potato Locro
