Description
This easy crockpot chicken noodle soup recipe creates the perfect comfort food with tender shredded chicken, hearty vegetables, and egg noodles in a flavorful homemade broth. Set it and forget it for busy weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
For the Soup Base:
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (I prefer thighs for extra flavor)
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 large carrots, sliced into rounds
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For Finishing:
- 12 oz wide egg noodles (don’t add these until the end!)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter (optional, but it adds richness)
Instructions
Dice your onion, slice your carrots, and chop your celery. Don’t worry about making them perfect – they’re going to get nice and tender in the crockpot anyway.
Place the chicken breasts or thighs in the bottom of your crockpot. Add the diced vegetables, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and oregano. Pour the chicken broth over everything.
Pro Tip: I season lightly now because the flavors concentrate as it cooks. You can always punch it up later, but nobody wants salty soup.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. The chicken should be tender enough to shred easily with a fork.
Remove the chicken from the crockpot and place it on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred it into bite-sized pieces. Don’t make it too fine – you want some texture in your soup.
About 30 minutes before serving, cook your egg noodles according to package directions in a separate pot. Drain them well.
Return the shredded chicken to the crockpot. Add the cooked noodles and stir gently. Let everything warm through for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, stir in fresh parsley and butter if using.
Notes
- Rotisserie chicken shortcut – Buy one at the store, shred it, add during last 30 minutes
- Portion and freeze without noodles – Saves beautifully for up to 3 months
- Keep soup and noodles separate – For meal prep, this prevents soggy disasters
- Bay leaves matter – Don’t skip them. They add that “what’s different about this?” factor
- Skim the foam – If you see gray foam floating, just spoon it off
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-7 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1¼ cups
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 85mg