This is a creamy and flavorful Filipino macaroni soup loaded with chicken, pasta, and vegetables. The special seasoning gives this sopas so much flavor! Perfect comfort food in a bowl for fall and winter!
I have so many sweet memories of this Creamy Chicken Sopas that my mom always made, perhaps at least once a week. My siblings and I often requested for this and our mom always readily acceded.
We have eaten this for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even as a snack. There’s just something so comforting about a creamy soup.
This is even more craved for during the monsoon season when it rains all over the archipelago much like we crave for Champorado when it’s cold and gloomy. For flavoring, I add a little patis/fish sauce to the broth. For me, that’s the one that gives it that special flavor.
There are so many versions of chicken macaroni soup but add some patis (fish sauce) and you truly make it extra special!
As I think of my fellow Filipinos who are suffering right now because of the damages wrought by Typhoon Haiyan – I cannot help but think that even a small bowl of this soup would truly bring some comfort, perhaps even a smile to their faces.
Please continue to pray for the Philippines that they may get the aid and relief that they all so badly need. Thank you very much.
FOR FULL RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS and to PRINT, SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW.
WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR CREAMY CHICKEN SOPAS (FILIPINO CHICKEN & MACARONI SOUP)?
- 2 boneless, skinless Chicken breasts, cooked then shredded (or sliced thinly)
- 1 1/2-2 cups uncooked Macaroni Noodles
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil or Oil of choice
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 Garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 medium Carrots, sliced diagonally
- 2 Celery stalks, sliced diagonally
- 8-10 cups low sodium Chicken broth,*
- Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
- 1-2 Tablespoon Fish sauce, or to taste*
- 1/2 head of a small cabbage, coarsely chopped
- 1 (12 oz) can Evaporated milk or 8 oz Half and Half
- Green Onions, chopped for garnish
NOTES:
*You can just use Rotisserie chicken too, shredded – about 2 cups.
* You can use the water/liquid where the chicken was boiled. This is what we usually use in the Philippines as pre-made Chicken broth is not readily available.
*This seasoning is what gives this soup its delicious flavor. Available in the Asian section of your grocery.
HOW DO YOU MAKE CREAMY CHICKEN SOPAS (FILIPINO CHICKEN & MACARONI SOUP)?
Boil the chicken breasts until tender and cooked. When cool enough to handle shred with a fork or with your hands. Retain the liquid where it was boiled (if not using chicken broth). Strain if necessary. Set aside.
Boil enough water for the pasta. Cook the macaroni al dente (not mushy, still retaining some bite). While waiting for the pasta water to boil, prepare the vegetables.
In a large pan, heat the oil. Saute the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots until the onions become translucent and the vegetables are tender about 5 minutes. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Stir in the shredded chicken. Add the broth (or water). Bring to a boil. Pour the evaporated milk, add the chopped cabbage, and season with fish sauce. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the cabbage leaves are soft. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Place enough amount of cooked macaroni into bowls and ladle the hot soup bowls. Garnish with some sliced green onions or scallions. Serve immediately.
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Creamy Chicken Sopas (Filipino Chicken Macaroni Soup)
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless Chicken breasts, cooked then shredded (or sliced thinly)
- 1 1/2-2 cups uncooked Macaroni Noodles
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil or Oil of choice
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 Garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 medium Carrots, sliced diagonally
- 2 Celery stalks, sliced diagonally
- 8-10 cups low sodium Chicken broth, see notes
- Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons
Fish sauce,
or to taste - 12 oz can Evaporated milk or 8 oz Half and Half
- 1/2 head of a small cabbage, finely chopped
Green Onions, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the chicken breasts until tender and cooked. When cool enough to handle shred with a fork or with your hands. Retain the liquid where it was boiled (if not using chicken broth). Strain if necessary. Set aside.
- Boil enough water for the pasta. Cook the macaroni al dente (not mushy, still retaining some bite). While waiting for the pasta water to boil, prepare the vegetables.
- In a large pan, heat the oil. Saute the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots until the onions become translucent and the vegetables are tender about 5 minutes. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Stir in the shredded chicken. Add the broth (or water). Bring to a boil. Pour the evaporated milk, add the chopped cabbage, and season with fish sauce. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the cabbage leaves are soft. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Place enough amount of cooked macaroni into bowls and ladle the hot soup bowls. Garnish with some sliced green onions or scallions. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Last updated on November 7th, 2023 at 03:17 pm
G'day Abby! Your Creamy Chicken Sopas looks warm and welcoming, true!
Reminds me of a soup my mum used to make when I was little too!
Cheers! Joanne
Thanks, Joanne. I always loved it when my Mom made this for us. Moms always make the best food.
How many servings does this make?
10-12 maybe. It is a big batch.
Hai, i bump into ur blog while searching for macaroni soup recipe..
will try n look nice..
will review once tried.
http://kuazue.blogspot.com
Hope you enjoyed it!
how do you keep the elbow macaroni firm? mine always turn out saggy.. it still absorbs the soup even after its cooked. 🙁
Hi Leslie, if the macaroni stays long enough in the soup, it gets soggy which explains why I add it separately although you can actually cook them all together just ensure that you don't overcook the macaroni. Cook it until al dente (fully cooked but still retains some bite). The only other way is to eat them immediately. I cook the broth separately so I can just add the macaroni when I need it, so it's only added when you actually want to eat it so it doesn't get soaked up in the broth and gets soggy. Hope that helps.
I have an unusual method of making sure the noodles don't get soggy and it's delicious. I stir fry the uncooked noodles until golden brown all over and then cook the noodles in the boiling broth. No mushiness! Delicious!
What a great idea, Sheri! Thanks for sharing that. I will try it for sure!
Can I use Nestle Cream instead of evaporated milk to make it creamier?
Hi Paul, I personally think that Evaporated milk is better as it doesn't overpower the taste of the soup itself (not overly milky in taste). But you can try the cream for sure, just add it at the end and lessen it (not as much as the evaporated milk) 'cause it will be too thick otherwise. Thanks for asking.
Hhmmmm….yummy it makes me feel hungry..I should cook this one when in get home…thanks.��
Hope you enjoyed it Ailyn! Thanks for stopping by!
Ahhh! I love this. My mom used to make this a lot when I was little.
This dish always makes it to our dinner table on a monthly basis (at least!). Enjoy!
Thank you so much for your recipe, the sopas turned out delicious! The patis makes a really big difference 🙂
I am super-delighted to know you enjoyed the sopas! Thanks for the kind feedback! 🙂
Thank you for sharing!
Whenever I make sopas, it's always gone within a day. I wanted to make a big batch and freeze it so it'll be on hand. Have you ever tried freezing it to store?
I'm a little weary since it does have milk in it.
The pasta may get mushy and the milk might separate and get grainy if frozen. If you want to freeze leave out the pasta and milk and add them later.
Made this and my Portuguese and American friends love it! I added mashed potato to make it a little thicker. Thanks for this post! Btw, I also froze it. It looked a little grainy but it was all back to normal after reheating it. 🙂
This is perfect for winter!
I would like to try your recipe tomorrow for 50 persons, can I just exclude celery because I don't like it..will the taste still be the same?
You may leave out the celery but make sure to add extra carrots and cabbages so the soup's consistency remains even and not too diluted. Enjoy!
Do you think it will be OK to use Cream of Mushroom instead of evaporated milk?
I haven't tried it personally but if you do, please let us know how it went. Thanks Rushelle!