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This creamy chicken sopas recipe is a popular chicken soup recipe in the Philippines.
It’s made with elbow macaroni, chicken, milk, and butter, which makes it very delicious and easy to prepare at home. It’s most loved by kids, any time of the day!
This dish is attractive to children because the vegetable ingredients are cut into small cubes, which helps them to believe that vegetables are delicious and nutritious.
It’s really good for breakfast, but many others prepare this for an afternoon snack instead. As you can see, it’s a versatile recipe because it can be served also as a side dish for fried fish on any occasion, during any season!
In this post we'll cover:
Creamy chicken sopas recipe and preparation tips
The chicken sopas recipe is a sort of comfort food because it’s perfect for those who aren’t feeling well. It’s even good for those with hangovers from their late-night party sessions.
The method of cooking sopas comes from different variations depending on the meat type being used. Examples are ground beef or pork, boiled chicken flakes, spare ribs, or any other bony part that makes the soup tasty and flavorful.
For chicken, boil and let it simmer for a long period of time; this adds more taste to the soup. The word “sopas” is a Hispanic word that literally means “soup”, so it makes sense to make the dish this way!
We actually claim that this recipe’s origin came from us Filipinos, but it’s actually from the Italians because of the macaroni pasta in the dish.
This dish is a traditional food in Italy and is sometimes served with beans.
Sopas is good to our health; soups are slimming, which is why they can help us lose weight. And though you can get minimal amount of calories, it’s very nutritious, as it’s a source of calcium and vitamin D.
Chicken soup also helps to treat symptoms of the common cold and some related conditions. In medicine, it’s known as “Jewish Penicillin” or an alternative for penicillin.
It fills us up because it stretches the stomach. We easily feel full, so it’s ideal to eat soup at the beginning of every meal.
To see how chicken sopas is made, check out this video by YouTuber Panlasang Pinoy:

Filipino creamy chicken sopas recipe
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked then shredded (or sliced thinly)
- 2 cups uncooked macaroni pasta
- 3 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 medium carrots sliced diagonally
- 2 stalks celery sliced diagonally
- 10 cups low sodium chicken broth
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- ½ head small cabbage coarsely chopped
- 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
- 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 little salt and pepper.
- Stir in the shredded chicken. Add the broth (or water). Season with some fish sauce (if using) or just more salt (to taste).
- Bring to a boil. Add the cabbage, cooked macaroni, and evaporated milk, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or just until the cabbage leaves are soft. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Ladle into bowls. Garnish with some chopped green onions if you wish. Enjoy!
Nutrition
You’ll need a good, firm chicken breast with the bone and skin removed for this dish.
Thanks and mabuhay!
Also check out our guide on how to cook ginataang papaya with chicken, coconut & papaya
Ever had trouble finding Japanese recipes that were easy to make?
We now have "cooking Japanese with ease", our full recipe book and video course with step-by-step tutorials on your favorite recipes.
Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.