Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Try this comforting slow cooker chicken noodle soup is perfect for a cozy meal at home. It's made right in your crock pot with a whole chicken, plenty of vegetables, and tender egg noodles.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 314kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds whole chicken (small chicken) thawed if frozen
- 4 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 to 10 cups water as needed
- 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon adds great flavor
- 2 bay leaves fresh or dried
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme and rosemary tied with kitchen twine
- 1 small bunch fresh Italian parsley tied with kitchen twine
- ½ pound extra wide egg noodles
- Chopped Italian parsley for garnish
- 1 lemon squeezed at the end for serving
Instructions
- Add vegetables: In a large slow cooker, add the chopped carrots, celery, onions, crushed garlic, 3 teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper,
- Add chicken and water: Place the whole chicken on top. Then, add water (the exact amount depends on the slow cooker size, add enough leaving about 1.5 inches space from the top). The chicken doesn’t need to be fully submerged, just almost. Stir in 2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon for even better flavor.
- Add aromatics: Add the thyme and rosemary sprigs, Italian parsley, and bay leaves around the chicken, gently pushing down to submerge.
- Slow cook: Cover and cook for 8 hours on LOW, or 4 hours on HIGH, until the chicken is fully cooked through and tender.
- Egg noodles: Remove chicken from the crock pot. Then, add the egg noodles, cover, and cook for another 20 minutes until al dente and tender.
- Shred chicken: Meanwhile, shred the chicken, discard the skin and bones.
- Bring everything together: Once the noodles are done, return the shredded chicken into the slow cooker. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Finish with chopped Italian parsley for that touch of freshness.
- Serve: Serve the chicken noodle soup warm, and if you'd like add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end.
Video
Notes
- Use a small 3-pound whole chicken so the liquid-to-chicken ratio is adequate.
- If your chicken is on the larger side, cut it and use about half or 3/4 of it.
- Fully thawed chicken: Do not start a frozen chicken. It needs to be thawed before using for even cooking.
- Make sure to not overfill the slow cooker. Leave space for the broth to simmer.
- Prep ahead: Peel and chop vegetables then store in an airtight container. Thaw chicken up to 1 day ahead in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Place cooled chicken noodle soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat soup in a medium saucepan on the stovetop until warmed through. You can also reheat in a microwave safe bowl until warmed.
- Freezing: Place leftover soup without noodles in a freezer safe airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating, or reheat from frozen over the stovetop.
- Whole chicken: Bone-in pieces breasts, thighs, or drumsticks.
- Egg noodles: Short pastas, like rotini, farfalle, or ditalini.
Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 445mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5700IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg