Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Hey there, my friends! Hope you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and get comfy in your kitchen because today I’ve got a scrumptious recipe for Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It’s perfect for those days when you just want to snuggle up with a bowl of something hearty, soothing, and downright delicious.
Chicken Noodle Soup, I mean, who doesn’t love it, right?
It’s a classic comfort food that spans generations. Ever been sick and had someone bring you a bowl of this miracle soup? It’s like a hug in a bowl.
We’re kicking off this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I love using these in my soups. They’re lean, they’re tasty, and they shred beautifully after slow cooking.
All you need are two forks and voila – perfect chicken shreds for your soup!
You can for sure use boneless chicken thighs instead – I usually use whatever is in my freezer or whatever I have ready to use.
Our soup wouldn’t be complete without our power pack – carrots, onions, celery and garlic. Think of them as the band that brings the music to your dish. They’ll be playing the base tune that gets the whole soup grooving.
Now, we can’t forget our trusty backup singers: dried thyme and a bay leaf. You might think they’re small parts, but boy do they make a difference. The thyme adds a little woody, minty note and the bay leaf, it’s got this cool bittersweet vibe going on. Don’t forget to fish it out before serving, though. No one wants to bite down on that!
The slow cooker is our stagetoday in our homemade chicken noodle soup.
Why? Because it’s going to let our little band jam together for hours, slowly marrying all those tasty flavors into a soup that’s out of this world. The grand finale? Our dry egg noodles.
They’re not your average noodles, they’ve got eggs in them, which means they’re richer and add a perfect ‘bite’ to our soup.
They also do this cool thing where they soak up some of the broth, making them taste like little bites of pure heaven. Wide egg noodles are my go-to for this recipe but you can use regular or thin.
So there you have it, folks! Time to get those slow cookers out and start the show.
And, don’t forget: If you have fresh herbs laying around (I’m thinking rosemary and parsley work so well in this soup!) feel free to throw them in the soup after it’s been in the Crock Pot, or just add on top as a garnish.
Remember, cooking is like music, it’s meant to be shared, so invite some friends over, dish up some of this heartwarming soup, and let the good times roll. Enjoy!
Most common questions that I get about this Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup:
- When do you add vegetables to slow cooker chicken noodle soup? In this recipe, we add our veggies right at the start! Carrots, onions, and garlic go into the slow cooker along with the chicken, broth, and spices. This way, they’ll have plenty of time to release all their delicious flavors into the soup while they soften up nicely.
- Can you slow cook chicken noodle soup? Oh, absolutely! Slow cooking chicken noodle soup is not only possible, it’s downright magical. The low, slow heat of the slow cooker allows the flavors to meld together beautifully, giving you a soup that’s rich, hearty, and brimming with taste. Plus, it’s really convenient – just pop everything in, set the timer, and walk away. Come back to a pot full of scrumptious soup!
- How to make slow cooker chicken noodle soup? Here’s the quick and dirty: You’ll start by adding your chicken breasts, veggies (carrots, onions, garlic), spices (thyme, bay leaf), and chicken broth to your slow cooker. Cover it up, set it on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, and let it do its thing. Once the chicken is cooked and tender, you’ll take it out and shred it using two forks, then toss it back in. Then, add your dry egg noodles, crank the heat to high, and cook for another 20-30 minutes. Once the noodles are cooked, just fish out the bay leaf, dish it up, and enjoy!
- How long to slow cook chicken noodle soup? For this recipe, if you’re cooking on low heat, you’ll want to slow cook your soup for about 6-8 hours. If you’re in a bit of a hurry, set it on high heat and let it cook for about 3-4 hours. Either way, you’ll get a tasty, comforting bowl of chicken noodle soup that’s worth every minute!
- Should I add lemon juice to soup? Absolutely! Lemon juice can brighten up the flavor of a soup. It adds a nice touch of acidity that can balance out the rich, savory flavors. Just add it in at the end of cooking to keep its fresh, zingy flavor.
- How do you fix mushy noodles in soup? If you’ve got mushy noodles, it usually means they’ve been overcooked. The best way to fix this is to prevent it from happening in the first place by cooking your noodles separately or adding them right near the end of the soup’s cooking time. But if you’re already in mushy-noodle-city, you could try adding some extra cooked noodles to the soup to balance out the texture.
- How do you add pasta to soup without getting soggy? If you’re worried about soggy pasta, the best thing to do is cook it separately in its own pot, then add it to the soup just before you’re ready to serve. This way, the pasta won’t continue to cook in the hot soup and turn mushy.
- What is the best way to add pasta to soup? The best method is to cook the pasta separately until it’s just under al dente (it should still have a little bite to it). Then, add the pasta to the individual bowls of soup right before you serve. This way, the pasta won’t continue to cook and absorb liquid while sitting in the hot soup.
- How do you keep pasta from getting mushy in soup? The trick is to not overcook the pasta. If you’re adding it directly to the soup, do so near the end of the cooking process. Or, cook it separately and add it just before serving. Also, using a thicker or heartier pasta (like egg noodles or whole grain varieties) can help as they tend to hold their shape better.
- How do I keep my noodles from getting soggy in my soup? It’s all about timing. Add your noodles near the end of the cooking time or cook them separately and add them to your soup just before serving. If you have leftovers, store the pasta and soup separately to prevent the noodles from soaking up more broth and getting soggy.
- How do you keep noodles from getting mushy? Besides adding them late in the cooking process or cooking them separately, you can also rinse pasta after cooking in warm water to remove excess starch, which can make them gummy. Just be sure to toss them in a bit of oil afterward so they don’t stick together.
- What kind of noodles don’t get soggy in soup? Thicker, heartier noodles like egg noodles, whole wheat pasta, or pasta shapes like fusilli or penne tend to hold up well in soup. Rice noodles or glass noodles can also work as they keep their texture quite well.
- What noodles hold up best in soup? I’m a big fan of egg noodles in soup – they’re thick and hold their shape well. Other good options include whole grain pasta or larger pasta shapes like fusilli, penne, or farfalle.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup Course: Dinner, Soup Cuisine: American Keyword: Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup Prep Time: 20m Cook Time: 360m Total Time: 380m Servings: 4 servings – 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – 4 cups chicken broth – 3 carrots peeled & sliced – 1 onion chopped – 1 cup celery sliced – 3 cloves garlic minced – 1 tsp dried thyme – 1 bay leaf – 2 cups dry egg noodles – salt & pepper to taste – 4 T green onions optional 1) Place the chicken breasts, chicken broth, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, dried thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper in the Crockpot 2) Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours until the chicken is cooked through and tender 3) Remove the chicken from the Crockpot and shred it using two forks. Return shredded chicken to the Crockpot 4) Add the egg noodles to the Crockpot and cook on high heat for an additional 20-30 minutes until the noodles are cooked 5) Remove the bay leaf before serving 6) Enjoy! serving_size 2
