Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

⭐Why I Love It

• Makes a Big Batch – Perfect to feed the whole family or to have leftovers.
• Slow Cooker Does the Work – This recipe doesn’t get much easier!
• Cozy and Comforting
• Very Forgiving and Customizable – This recipe is easy to tweak to your tastes. Use more/less veggies. Different herbs and spices. The list goes on!

🥘Ingredients Needed:

• Onion, Carrots, Celery – To save time you can also buy store-bought mirepoix which is just these three vegetables already chopped up
• Garlic – Fresh minced garlic is always best but you can also use the kind in a jar to save time
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – These are added whole to the crockpot. No chopping needed! You can also use chicken thighs – see variations below!
• Chicken Stock or Broth – I recommend using low sodium broth so you can control the salt.
• Spices: Dried Bay Leaves, Dried Thyme, Dried Rosemary, Salt and Pepper
• Egg Noodles – These can be cooked right in the crockpot or you can cook them separately.
• Lemon Juice and Fresh Parsley – This is added at the end of cooking and it gives the soup a nice freshness.

Never Miss A Recipe!

Subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get the most popular recipes, right to your inbox, and never miss what’s happening in my kitchen.

📖Variations and Substitutions

• Swap for Egg Noodles – Egg Noodles are the classic choice for chicken noodle soup soup, but you can use a different pasta of your choice. The cook time may differ, so adjust accordingly.
• Chicken Thighs instead of Breasts – You can swap in boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the breasts and the recipe steps remain the same.
• Cooked Chicken – If you have leftover cooked chicken (or even a shredded rotisserie chicken to use up), then cook the soup as the recipe states WITHOUT the cooked chicken until the veggies are tender. Then add the cooked shredded chicken in the last hour of cooking to warm.
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup – Instead of using your slow cooker or crock pot, you can also make chicken noodle soup in the Instant Pot!

How To Make This Recipe on the Stove

This recipe can also be made on the stovetop!

1. Quickly Sauté Veggies – Start by heating a large Dutch Oven or other pot to medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the hot oil and sauce for about 3 minutes to soften slightly (they’ll finish cooking in the soup).
2. Add Aromatics and Broth – Add the garlic and spices and cook for about 30 seconds then add all of the broth.
3. Cook Chicken – Bring to a low boil and add the raw chicken breasts (if they are very large, you can cut them in half so they cook faster). Allow the chicken to simmer, fully submerged, for 12-15 minutes (depending on size of chicken breasts) until fully cooked (chicken internal temp of 165 degrees F.).
4. Cook Noodles – Remove the chicken to a plate. Add the egg noodles to the soup and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until al dente. Meanwhile, shred up the chicken breasts.
5. Finish Soup – Once the noodles are just tender, add back in the shredded chicken, lemon juice, and parsley.

🍋How to add Flavor to soup

A good soup gets its flavor from more than just the broth and stock. There are several things that gives this crockpot chicken noodle soup recipe its flavor:

• The classic is the mirepoix (celery, carrot, and onion).
• I also include garlic and dried spices (thyme, rosemary, bay leaves) – you could always increase the amounts to your taste or even use fresh herbs!
• My favorite flavor addition is the lemon juice and finely chopped parsley at the end. They add so much freshness!

🔪Step by Step instructions

Making Chicken Noodle Soup in the Slow Cooker is easy! Just add most of the ingredients to the crockpot at the beginning of the day and let it cook low and slow all day long.

1. Add the Ingredients. In a large slow cooker, add all ingredients except for the fresh parsley, lemon juice, and egg noodles
2. Slow Cook – Cook on low for 6-8 hours. The chicken should be fully cooked and the veggies should be tender.
3. Shred Chicken and Add Noodles. Remove the chicken breasts and chop or shred with two forks. Add back into slow cooker. Add in egg noodles and stir together. Making sure the noodles are submerged in the liquid. Recover the slow cooker and cook on low until the noodles are just tender.
4. Serve and Enjoy. When the egg noodles are cooked, stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy!

🍽Leftovers and Storage

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Be aware that the noodles will soften more in the fridge. If you want your noodles to stay firmer, you can cook the noodles separately from the soup and store the noodles and soup separately in the fridge as well.