Craving a comforting bowl of chicken noodle soup but don’t have the time to spend hours in the kitchen? Look no further than this Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup. This easy-to-make recipe is perfect for a cozy night in, and the slow cooking process infuses the broth with tons of flavor and health benefits.
How’s everyone feeling out there? Flu? Achy? Headache and chills? Over the past few weeks everyone in our family has been down for the count with runny noses and colds here and there. When we get sick and don’t really want to take medicine I reach for a few simple foods to heal us from the inside out. Ginger Lemon Honey Tea and Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup are always the first recipes I have on the brain. Even the kids pediatrician suggested making chicken soup in order to get everyone feeling better fast!
In the past I’ve made boat loads of Chicken Soup and Rice and this healing Asian Chicken Soup, but I wanted something even easier that I could make in the slow cooker. This soup is such a no brainer as all you have to do is dump the ingredients into the slow cooker and hours later like magic it’s ready to go! You can add rice if you prefer, but it’s classic with your favorite pasta shape inside to soak up some of the delectable chicken broth.
This recipe makes a lot of soup because I want to make sure you have plenty to freeze for those unexpected days that everyone in your family is under the weather and you need a health boost quick! If you have any other suggestions for healing foods don’t be shy! Leave them in the comment below, so we can all get our troops feeling better fast!
Photos by Gerry Speirs
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds chicken parts
- 8 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 leeks, chopped into half moons
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups pasta (rotini or macaroni are our faves)
- pepper to taste
- fresh parsley for topping (if desired)
- crackers to accompany
Instructions
- Place the first 10 ingredients in a slower cooker and set to low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours (the soup can remain in the slow cooker up to 8 hours on low at this point).
- After the soup has cooked for 3 hours (on high) or 5 hours (on low) remove the chicken from the slow cooker and set aside.
- Add the pasta into the slow cooker and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until tender. Do no overcook as the noodles will get soggy.
- While the pasta is cooking, remove the bones if necessary and shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add back into the soup.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with crackers if desired.
Just wondering if the pasta gets mushy after a reheat or if it sits in the corner for a bit…?
Just wondering if the pasta gets mushy after a reheat or if it sits in the corner for a bit…?
What if you use chicken already cooked ? How long in crock pot
I have all but given up cooking due to poor health.This soup I’m going to give a .
Your video says to take the chicken out after four hours, but the written recipe says three. Which should I do?
Thanks!
This looks good
I made this the other night…DELISH!!!
You can leave them out and it won’t be too much of a difference!
First time making chicken soup in the crockpot. Excited to surprise my kids with chicken soup tonight. Would there be a big difference in taste if I didn’t add bay leaves?
3-4 hours on low to get the chicken cooked through, but it can also stay in the crock pot for 8 hours! 🙂
Hi,
Im making it right now. Cant wait to try it.
I do have a quick question : shouldnt it be 4hrs on high and 8 on low ?
Thanks !
We like to add the juice from a lemon into the soup at the end!
Great idea!
adding an inch of fresh ginger gives the soup a nice kick .