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Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup is the ultimate comfort recipe. Hearty, comforting, and perfect for cold weather. Let your crockpot do the work – just add all the ingredients and let it cook all day.

Hands holding bowl of chicken noodle soup made in the slow cooker.

⭐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:

Carrots, celery, onion, chicken breasts and spices in slow cooker.
  • 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.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

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📖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!
  • Brown Chicken First – this is an extra step, but adds lots of flavor! You can brown the chicken breasts or thighs on the stove (with a little oil over medium-high heat) until browned on both sides. Not cooked through. Then let the chicken finish cooking in the soup. Make sure to scrape any of those browned bits out of the pan!
Ladle holding spoon of chicken noodle soup over a crockpot.

🔪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!

See the recipe card for full information on recipe steps.

🍽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.

👩‍🍳Recipe FAQs

What size of crockpot should be used to make soup?

This recipe perfectly fits in a large, 7-8qt crockpot. If yours is smaller, just adjust the amounts accordingly. The cook time should remain similar.

Is chicken noodle soup freezer friendly?

Yes! Although I recommend freezing without the noodles as they will become mushy. Follow the recipe instructions, don’t add the noodles, allow to fully cool and store in freezer bags in the freezer for 3-4 months. Then when ready to eat, thaw, reheat, and cook up some noodles separately to add to the soup.

Can this recipe be prepped in advance?

Absolutely! But I prefer to not add the noodles and cook them fresh. Or slightly, undercook the noodles in the crockpot as they will become softer as they sit in the leftover soup.

Can you add uncooked noodles to chicken soup?

Yes! But it’s important to add the uncooked noodles at the very end of cooking. Do not add them at the beginning with the remaining soup ingredients.

Hand taking spoonful of chicken noodle soup.

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Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Bowl of chicken noodle soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup is the ultimate comfort recipe. Hearty, comforting, and perfect for cold weather. Let your crockpot do the work. Just add all the ingredients and let it cook all day.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 hours
  • Total Time: 7 hours
  • Yield: 6-8 servings
  • Category: Main Dish, Slow Cooker, Soup
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Add at the Beginning

  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 medium carrots, sliced into rounds or half moons
  • 4 stalks celery, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups chicken stock or broth, low sodium preferred
  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1.5lbs (or chicken thighs)
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 tbs fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, or 1 tbs fresh rosemary (chopped)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Add at the End

  • 8 ounces egg noodles
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Add the Ingredients. In a large slow cooker, add all ingredients except for the fresh parsley, lemon juice, and egg noodles. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Slow Cook – Cook on low for 6-8 hours. The chicken should be fully cooked and the veggies should be tender. The cook time will vary on your crockpot and the size of your chicken/diced veggies.
  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 for another 5-10 minutes on low until the noodles are just tender. Alternatively, you can cook the noodles separately in a pot of boiling water on the stove.
  4. Serve and Enjoy. When the egg noodles are cooked, stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Noodles – Egg Noodles will continue to cook in the hot soup. If you prefer noodles that are not as soft, you can also cook them separately on the stove (following package directions) and ladle into individual bowls of soup. This is also my recommendation if you’re storing leftovers.

Stovetop Variation – This soup can also be made on the stovetop in a large pot. See the Variations section above in the blog post for the how-to.

Chicken – Chicken breasts or thighs can be used, just make sure both are cooked to above 165 degrees F before removing and shredding. For extra flavor, try seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper first and browning in a skillet with oil over medium-high heat until browned on the outside before continuing with recipe. Make sure to scrape any of the browned bits from the pan!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bowl
  • Calories: 276
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Sodium: 410.1 mg
  • Fat: 5.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 21.6 g
  • Fiber: 2.9 g
  • Protein: 34.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 93.7 mg

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