Bone-in split chicken breasts, carrots, celery, onion, and egg noodles go into the slow cooker with plain water and a handful of dried herbs. The long cook on HIGH takes 4 hours, with egg noodles added in the final 10 minutes. One batch makes 8 servings.

Starting with plain water instead of chicken stock is what changes this soup. The bones stay in throughout the cook, drawing collagen and gelatin into the water as the broth builds from nothing. Removing the skin before it goes in prevents the fat from making the finished bowl greasy.

Egg noodles go into the slow cooker for the last 8 to 10 minutes, once the chicken is out and shredded. Adding them earlier means they absorb liquid for hours and collapse into paste. A short blast on HIGH at the end cooks them through while they absorb the finished broth

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Recipe by Shili MohamedCourse: SoupsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

4

hours 

Calories

235

kcal

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup made with bone-in split chicken breasts and plain water, slow-cooked into a rich homemade broth. Serves 8, ready in 4 hours

Ingredients

• Soup

• 2 split bone-in chicken breasts (900g to 1.1kg total), skin removed

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 225g carrots (about 4 medium), sliced

• 4 sticks celery, sliced

• 1 tsp dried basil

• 1 tbsp dried parsley

• ½ tsp dried thyme

• 1 bay leaf

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• 1.9 litres water

• Noodles & Finish

• 170g wide egg noodles

• 1 tbsp salt, or to taste

• 15g fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
  

Directions

• Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to the slow cooker. Remove the skin from the chicken breasts, place them on top of the vegetables, then add the dried herbs, bay leaf, black pepper, and water. Place the lid on and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours, until the chicken is tender.
• Lift the chicken breasts out and set aside to cool slightly. Discard the bay leaf. Remove and discard the bones, then shred the meat into pieces using two forks.
• Add the egg noodles to the hot broth in the slow cooker. Replace the lid and cook on HIGH for 8 to 10 minutes, until the noodles are tender.
• Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Taste the broth and stir in salt a teaspoon at a time, using about 1 tablespoon in total, until the seasoning is right.
• Ladle into bowls and top with freshly chopped parsley, if using.

FAQs

Can chicken thighs be used instead of split breasts?

Bone-in chicken thighs work in place of split breasts and produce a slightly richer broth due to the higher fat content in thigh meat. Remove the skin before cooking, as with the split breasts, to keep the broth clean rather than greasy. Reduce the cook time by about 30 minutes on HIGH, as thighs are smaller and cook through faster.

Can this soup be frozen after cooking?

Cooked egg noodles do not freeze well: they absorb liquid as they cool, then turn bloated and soft after thawing. Freeze the broth and shredded chicken separately in sealed containers for up to 3 months, with the noodles left out entirely. Cook fresh noodles in the reheated broth once the soup has thawed and is back on the hob.

Can the egg noodles be swapped for a different pasta or grain?

Short pasta shapes like orzo or small shells cook at the same 8 to 10 minutes on HIGH as egg noodles. Wide noodles suit this soup because their flat edges hold broth and shredded chicken well, but short shapes work at the same timing. Rice takes significantly longer and goes in at the start of the cook, not the end.

What other slow cooker chicken soup fits a weekly rotation alongside this one?

When a second chicken soup night follows the first, the bowl works better when the base changes slightly. A slow cooker chicken and wild rice on this site takes the same chicken and broth approach with wild rice instead of egg noodles. Together the two cover back-to-back slow cooker chicken nights without repeating the same bowl.

What if a richer, thicker version of this soup suits the occasion?

Not every chicken soup night needs to stay light. A slow cooker chicken pot pie soup on this site builds the same noodle-and-chicken base into a cream-thickened, pot pie-inspired bowl with a richer finish. Together the two give two versions of slow cooker chicken soup, one clean and brothy and one thick and hearty.