This crockpot chicken noodle soup is hearty and comforting, yet incredibly easy to make! No need for a can full of preservatives, homemade is the best!
One bite of this homemade crockpot chicken noodle soup and you won’t want canned soup any more!
Is there anything more comforting than a big bowl of hearty soup? There’s something so natural about it, and it brings you right back to childhood.
If the only chicken noodle soup you’ve ever had is a can of good ol’ Campbells, then simply put… you NEED to try a homemade version! The flavor is so rich, so complex, and it’s incredibly easy to make at home.
Normally I think of chicken noodle soup as “sick food”… something you eat when you’re under the weather. And don’t get me wrong, this crockpot chicken noodle soup is FABULOUS for that, but it’s also fantastic on a night when you’re looking for some comfort food. Paired with a green salad, it’s a great light meal as well!
After a long, hard day, a big bowl of this soup is the cure!
IS CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP REALLY GOOD FOR YOU
It depends on the ingredients you use to make the soup, but when you use quality ingredients, yes! Plus the soups steam warms you and eases any congestion, and the warm brothy soup helps ease a sore throat. There’s a reason it’s the universal soup for when you’re under the weather!
WHAT HERBS ARE USED IN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
In this soup I’ve used dried rosemary and thyme, with some fresh minced parsley as a garnish. But some dried tarragon, or using fresh herbs would be great additions and substitutions as well. While not exactly herbs, we’ve also used the classic “mirepoix” or “holy trinity” of diced onions, carrots and celery. These vegetables are used very frequently to start off just about any soup by adding amazing flavor and aromas.
I also like to buy reduced sodium chicken broth, so I can control the amount of salt in the dish.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHICKEN BROTH AND CHICKEN STOCK
Traditionally chicken broth is made from simmering meat, whereas chicken stock is made from simmering bones. Chicken stock has a richer flavor, due to the gelatin released from the bones as they cook, and broth is much lighter, in color and taste. Since chicken noodle soup is traditionally a brothy soup, with a relatively “clear” broth, I always use chicken broth instead of stock.
CAN THIS HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP BE MADE ON THE STOVETOP
Absolutely! You’ll need to make a few adjustments though:
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to a dutch oven and heat over MED heat. Add 2 large chicken breasts and cook 5-7 minutes per side, or until 165 F degrees. Remove to a plate and shred, using two forks.
- Add 2 Tbsp of butter to the dutch oven and heat over MED heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook 5-7 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Stir in seasonings and bay leaf, then add chicken broth. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce back down to MED heat and boil about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
- Add egg noodles and boil, stirring often, about 10 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. If you notice the liquid level is down too much, feel free to add an extra cup or two of broth or water.
- Add in shredded chicken, stir and taste to check seasonings. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Looking for more soup recipes?
- Skinny Crockpot Loaded Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana
- Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Ham Chowder
- Slow Cooker Hearty Minestrone
- Slow Cooker Italian Meatball Soup
- And MORE!
HELPFUL TOOLS
- Slow Cooker – While inexpensive, this slow cooker is a true workhorse in my kitchen!
- Bear Claws– The perfect tool for shredding meat!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 - 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 med to large yellow onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into circles
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- 2 tsp better than bouillon base, chicken flavor
- 8 - 9 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 8 oz. egg noodles (wide or extra wide) ** see chef tip #1 below
- fresh parsley, minced (for garnish)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To the bottom of a 6 quart or larger slow cooker, add trimmed chicken breasts. Top with onion, carrots, celery, garlic, dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt and pepper, and bay leaf (if using).
- Dollop better than bouillon chicken base over the top, then pour in chicken broth. Gently stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- Remove chicken from slow cooker to a large mixing bowl. Shred chicken. Discard bay leaf (if using), and return shredded chicken back to slow cooker.
- Add egg noodles, stir, then cover and cook on LOW for 10-15 minutes, until pasta is tender. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve garnished with minced fresh parsley and a sprinkle of black pepper.
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Chef Tips
- If you would prefer to boil your egg noodles separately, so they don't potentially get over-cooked (since all slow cookers cook differently), you can certainly do that. I've never had any issue with that, but some readers have mentioned it, so I wanted to amend the recipe to reflect potential troubles. Just omit step 4, and only cook the soup for a few minutes after adding the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed, then serve and enjoy!
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Recipe posted first on Spend With Pennies, where I contribute recipes monthly.
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Suzanne says
This looks so good! What an easy weeknight meal to start ahead of time. It would be easy to make gluten free too with the right noodles or subbing in rice!
Becky says
I made this crockpot chicken noodle soup and we loved it. I have a big family so I doubled the recipe! Will definitely make again.
Krystal says
I only have a 4 quart crock pot, would I just add less chicken broth???
The Chunky Chef says
I think you could honestly cook this in a 4 quart. Would be pretty full, but yes, if you had to, you could use slightly less broth.
Kym says
Have you tried this recipe with gluten free pasta??
The Chunky Chef says
Unfortunately, I haven’t. No one in my family has celiac disease, so I don’t have any experience cutting out gluten.
Leah says
Such a great recipe! Only thing I would do differently would be, cook the noodles separate.
Kaitie says
My first time using my crock pot and this soup turned out great! I cooked on high for 4 hours then shredded and added noodles then cooked on low for 20 minutes so the noodles were to my liking. Thanks for the recipe!
Bee says
Does it taste different if you don’t use better than bouillon? I don’t have that ingredient and I’ve never used it before 🙂 thank you!
The Chunky Chef says
I think the chicken base adds a depth of flavor that’s wonderful, but not necessary.
Josey says
I’m making it as I type as well, this will be my second time attempting to make chicken noodle soup! The first time was unsuccessful but I still ate it. Ha.
I can’t wait to try it 😀
Lisa Dee says
It is in the crock-pot as I type. I also tossed in a Parmesan rind. Can’t wait to have it for lunch!!
Melissa Wilber says
I made this tonight, and it’s very salty! We can’t even eat it and I was so looking forward to it! Did anyone else have this issue? I need to figure out what is making it salty so i can fix it next time . I do not salt any of my food, so it’s not that. Thanks for any info.
The Chunky Chef says
With only 1/2 a teaspoon in the entire recipe, and using reduced sodium broth, it definitely shouldn’t be salty. Seasoned yes, salty no. Did you happen to mistake the tsp for a Tbsp? Use regular chicken broth instead of reduced sodium?
Heather says
Would I be able to add dumplings to this? Would any adjustments need to be made or just add them in the last 20 min or so?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it, but yes, I think adding them the last 20 minutes or so should work fine with no adjustments needed 🙂
Gretchen says
Perfect for this snowy cold day
Stephanie says
How long do you cook if you have premade chicken?
The Chunky Chef says
I would cook about half the amount of time.
Jill says
Hi! Do you know the nutrition content! Thanks.
The Chunky Chef says
As I’m not a nutritionist, I don’t provide full nutritional information for my recipes (don’t want to inadvertently pass along incorrect information). Your best bet would be to copy the ingredients into your favorite online nutritional calculator.
Alissa B says
I only had about 5 cups worth of broth. Will that be a problem?? I can go back to the store if I need to.
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve only made this recipe as written, but I think with only half the amount of liquid, the noodles may soak up most of the broth leaving you with a pretty thick soup.
Janna says
Will this fill a 6-quart crock pot? I thought about making a bigger batch, but obviously I don’t want it to overflow!
The Chunky Chef says
It won’t fill it, I’d say maybe 2/3 of the way full?
Lori M. says
I would sure appreciate knowing if there is an economical way that you may know how I could re-create this recipe for approximately 120 people and what adjustments I may need to make.
It looks delicious and just what our un-housed neighbors that we serve would love to enjoy!
Looking forward to your reply, thanks for the assistance.
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Lori 🙂 I’ve never made this recipe on that scale before, but you would need to multiply all ingredients by 20 to serve 120 people.
Kim says
Hi Amanda,
This soup looks amazing…I’m actually putting all the ingredients in my crock pot as we speak. I used organic chicken broth but its not low sodium, is it ok to use the better than bouillon base? Also, I’d like to add ginger…I have ginger paste that you find in herb section at grocery store but its refrigerated. Would you add after soup has finished cooking or at the beginning? Thanks in advance for reply and for the awesome recipe.
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Kim 🙂 Yes you can use the better than bouillon base, I’d just use slightly less salt in the recipe. Ginger would be great! I think either way would be good, just depends how much you like a sharp ginger flavor.
Michelle says
Hello! How much is considered a serving? I’m counting calories!
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t precisely measured it, it’s just 1/6th of the crockpot full. I would estimate between 1.5 and 2.5 cups, but to be completely accurate you’d have to portion it out yourself.
Michelle says
Ok, great. Making it today. (It’s cooking as we speak) I’ll use 1 & 1/2 cups as a serving. I don’t want to overdo it. Thank you.