This slow cooker chicken noodle soup recipe is warming, comforting and very nourishing. It’s so easy to make in your slow cooker/crockpot. There’s no better way to fight off those nasty Winter bugs than curling up on the sofa with a bowl of hot chicken soup.
There’s no getting away from it now. It is officially Autumn. After much of the UK was treated to a final few days of warm sunshine a couple of weeks ago, we are now digging out our cosy jackets, scarves and boots from the back of the wardrobe.
As they say up in the Highlands, it’s turned pretty baltic!!
It’s time to take that slow cooker out of the cupboard, dust it off and make hearty beef casseroles and warming, creamy curries.
At the beginning of last week I started to feel cold, achy and my throat was sore.
I was pretty much fit for nothing for a good few days and didn’t have much of an appetite. The one thing I really fancied was chicken soup.
Not just any chicken soup though – I wanted homemade. I didn’t have the energy to make soup from a whole chicken – not that it’s difficult, it’s just more work than I was up for.
ingredients
I knew I had skinless chicken breasts in the fridge so I decided to use them for my soup. However, using skinless boneless chicken thighs will actually make a more flavourful soup.
I also had celery, garlic, leeks and carrots – pretty basic ingredients but they do make very tasty soup.
I had a quick rummage in my spice rack and decided to add some dried thyme, oregano and a bay leaf or two.
Then all I needed was chicken stock – I use those very handy chicken stock pots – and some dried egg noodles.
With just a few basic ingredients, it’s so easy to make chicken soup in the slow cooker. I managed to make this feeling awful with a chest infection last week, so it’s really not labour intensive at all!
I’m saying this as a person who just wants to curl up in a corner and sleep when I’m ill so it’s very low effort!
how to make slow cooker chicken noodle soup
Detailed instructions and ingredient amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step 1 – place chopped celery, crushed garlic, carrot and leeks in the bottom of a preheated slow cooker.
Step 2 – place three chicken breasts on top of the vegetables. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle over dried thyme, oregano and tuck the bay leaves underneath the chicken.
Step 3 – pour over the hot chicken stock. The chicken should be completely covered by the water. Place on the lid and set the slow cooker to LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours . The soup is ready when the vegetables are soft and the chicken shreds easily. It will do no harm to leave it for a couple of extra hours if you need to.
Step 4 – about 20-30 minutes before you’re ready to eat the soup, add the noodles. You might need to add a little more chicken stock at this stage to cover the noodles.
Switch the slow cooker to HIGH (If you were previously cooking on low) and cook for about 20 minutes or until the noodles are soft.
Taste the soup to check if it needs more seasoning before serving.
can I use chicken thighs instead?
Yes, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts.
can i use frozen chicken?
Please do not use frozen chicken for this recipe. Placing frozen meat in a slow cooker is not safe. It would take far too long to thaw and reach a safe internal temperature. It must be either fresh or fully defrosted.
More warming soup recipes to keep out the cold
Looking for a different flavour? Take a look through my soup archive.
More slow cooker chicken recipes
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
This Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup is warming, comforting and delicious. It's a flu and cold fighter in a bowl! It couldn't be easier to make in your Slow Cooker/Crock Pot.
Ingredients
- 1 Large Leek, sliced finely
- 2 Large Carrots, peeled and chopped into small dice
- 1 Stick of Celery, finely chopped
- 1 Large Clove of Garlic, Crushed
- 3 Large Chicken Breasts
- 1 1/2-2 Litres Hot Chicken Stock
- 1 Tsp Dried Thyme
- 1/2 Tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 75g Dried Egg Noodles
Instructions
- Place the sliced leek, carrots, celery and garlic in the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the chicken breasts on top and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and dried thyme, oregano and bay leaves.
- Pour the hot chicken stock over the ingredients. Place on a lid and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours. The soup is ready when the chicken falls apart with a touch of a fork the the vegetables are soft.
- About 20 minutes before you're ready to serve the soup, remove the lid and add the egg noodles. You might need to add a little more chicken stock at this point to ensure the noodles are completely covered in liquid. Cook on HIGH for about 20 minutes or until the noodles are soft.
- Taste the soup to see if you want to add more salt or pepper. Decant into bowls and serve.
Notes
The amount of chicken stock you'll need depends on the size of your slow cooker. I have a 3.5 Litre Crockpot and used just under 2 Litres of stock.
You may need to add a little more stock when adding the noodles - they must be completely immersed in liquid to ensure they cook properly.
If you like, you could add some sweetcorn or peas when adding the noodles (if frozen, defrost first by pouring boiling water over them and leave for about 5 minutes)
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 191Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 846mgCarbohydrates: 14gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 21g
Hi can this soup be frozen?
Hi Ayshea, yes you can freeze for up to 3 months.