Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup is super easy comfort food that is soothing, hearty, and perfect for cold weather. Made easily in the slow cooker with simple, real ingredients. This soul-warming meal is perfect when you want to enjoy a homemade dinner or feel under the weather. Take a look at the detailed recipe video below.

Slow Cooker recipes are the best, especially when it’s cold outside. They make your house smell amazing and inviting, nothing better than food slowly cooking while you take care of other things. We enjoy coming home to a hearty, delicious dinner that took minimum prep work to make. The other favorites that we love and highly recommend are this Crockpot Baked Potato Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup, of Clam Chowder with Bacon. 

This Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup is the perfect comfort food that will warm up your soul during a cold winter day. It is very similar to my Stovetop Chicken Noodle Soup but easily made in the crockpot. Also, it’s absolutely amazing on those days when you feel under the weather or are battling a cold. Enjoy a bowl under a warm blanket and it will make you feel much better.

We made this recipe very simple and with budget-friendly ingredients. In addition, making it in the slow cooker cuts down on the prep work and required minimal effort. You simply toss all the ingredients in a slow cooker, close the lid and let it slowly cook! Just perfect for the whole family to enjoy during busy weekdays. 

Made with lean chicken breast that has been cooked to tender perfection. The soup is also loaded with crunchy veggies like celery and carrots. The noodles are cooked in the slow cooker as well, so you don’t have to dirty another pot.

Ingredients needed:

• Chicken meat: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts here. 
• Veggies: Carrots, onion, celery stalks, garlic cloves.
• Herbs: Dried parsley flakes, red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. 
• Chicken Stock: I love using my homemade chicken stock as it adds plenty of flavors. However, you can also buy a low sodium version from your local grocery store. 
• Dry egg noodles. 
• Fresh parsley: To garnish the soup.

How to make crockpot chicken noodle soup?

This family favorite meal is one of the easiest to make. You basically chop in the veggies along with the stock, then cook. Here are the steps:

1. Combine the ingredients: First, add the meat, veggies, herbs to the slow cooker pot. Then, season with salt and pepper, and add the broth. 
2. Cook: Next, cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. 
3. Add the noodles: Once the time is up, remove the meat from the pot, and shred it with two forks. Then, discard the herbs and bay leaves. Next, add the egg noodles and cook covered on LOW for another 30 minutes. 
4. Serve: Cook the pasta al dente, and serve with your favorite side dish. 

Recipe Variations:

• Meat: I use boneless chicken breast to make this recipe. However, you can easily swap it with drumsticks, chicken thighs, or turkey breasts. 
• Add more vegetables: Feel free to add your favorite fresh or frozen vegetables to it. This recipe calls for carrots and celery. But, some great additions would be adding diced bell pepper, frozen peas, during the last 30 minutes of cooking. 
• Instant Pot or pressure cooker: For a quick and easy alternative, make this Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup. 
• Seasoning: In addition, you can use your favorite seasonings here, such as dried tarragon, poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, dried basil, onion powder, etc. 
• Pasta: I like using wide eggs noodles. However, feel free to use your favorite type of noodle. Whole wheat noodles, dry pasta, etc. 

Do you cook the chicken before putting it into the soup?

It’s not necessary! 🙂 The beauty of this recipe is that you don’t have to pre-cook the chicken or the pasta in order to make this recipe. You add the meat with the other ingredients and let it cook, after that you shred it.

Can you put frozen chicken in the crockpot?

It is definitely not recommended and is actually considered to be unsafe. Per the Food Safety guidelines, you should always thaw poultry before adding it to the slow cooker.

Can I use leftover chicken to make this soup?

To make this delicious and easy chicken noodle soup, you can easily use leftover chicken. Just shred or slice it and add about 2-3 cups with the rest of the ingredients. This will reduce the cooking time as well. Simply cook it on low for 4 hours and for about 2 hours on high.

How long do you cook it in the Slow cooker?

If you are cooking it on HIGH setting, the cooking time would be 3-4 hours.

Also, you can cook it in the LOW setting, for 6 hours. Or, even leave it on to cook for 8 hours on low, it will be very good. Just keep in mind, that you need another 20 minutes on high heat or about 30-40 on low heat.

What can I add to it for extra flavor?

Making sure that you use fresh veggies and a nice mix of seasoning and herbs, will guarantee a delicious tasting and full of flavor soup. We suggest that you use onion and garlic, lots of garlic if you are a fan. Carrots will add some sweetness, and the celery has a nice crunchy and earthy flavor.

The herbs also make a difference, we love adding some dried basil, Italian seasoning, oregano. If you can add some fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, and some dried bay leaves, this will add a punch of fresh flavors to the broth.

Is Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup good for you?

It is definitely a meal on the healthier side, that is loaded with veggies and protein. Like in all the recipes, you should always pay attention to what ingredients you are using if you are looking to make this recipe healthy.

We like to make it clean and healthy by using chicken breasts, low-sodium broth, and a good amount of veggies. The pasta is the ingredient with the most calories, but you can definitely opt-in for a whole when version.

For more vitamins, you can add as many veggies as you want. Other options are to add some bell peppers, sweet peas, even sliced zucchini. If you like beans, they also make a great and hearty addition.

If you are gluten intolerant, just use gluten-free noodles.

Do I need to use fresh herbs?

I use a mix of fresh and dried herbs here. Fresh rosemary and thyme are nice aromas, while dried parsley adds a more vibrant flavor. 

What side dish to serve with this homemade soup?

This comfort food is perfect during colder weather. For a complete meal, I love serving it with:

• Salad: Feel free to serve it with any tasty salads like an arugula salad, pear salad, or big mac salad. 
• Bread: A warm slice of baguette will be a perfect match for this dish. Also, try mixing it with beer bread, Irish soda bread, or brioche bread. 

What is the difference between chicken broth and stock?

• Stock – it is made more from the bony parts of the bird, and because of that, it has a deeper flavor. It also tastes richer, and the consistency seems to be thicker, with a deeper color as well.
• Broth – is made out of the meat parts of the bird, is lighter in calories with a milder taste.

More delicious Slow Cooker recipes:

Storing instructions:

To refrigerate: First, let the soup completely cool down. Then, transfer it to an airtight container, and refrigerate it for up to 4 days. 

To freeze: Add it to freezer quart bags. Also, squeeze out excess air and seal the bags. Then, lay the bags flat in the freezer and store them for up to 3 months.

When ready to serve or enjoy, just transfer to the fridge to thaw overnight. Another option is to run the bag under hot water and transfer it to a large pot. Keep in mind, that you may need to add a bit of broth or water since the noodles will soak up the broth.

Cooking tips:

• For extra flavors, garnish the soup with a pinch of flaky seas salt, drizzle some olive oil, or squeeze some fresh lemon juice. 
• I use an 8-quart crock-pot. However, feel free to use a smaller 6-quarte crockpot as well. 
• To add some heat, chop in some jalapeno peppers, or some red pepper flake. This would be perfect for those chilly days and help with a sore throat. 
• Also, you can cook the pasta separately, and then simply add it to the broth and serve it that way.