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!
Video
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.
Joanie says
Disappointed! Carrots were still crunchy after 4 hours high and 1 1/2 hours low. Very bland taste….needed more seasoning. Not sure what I did wrong, as other reviewers raved about this.
Mary Bradford says
Im excited to try this recipe. Please note that the Holy Trinity is white onion, celery and green bell pepper.
Missy Joyner says
This is my second time making this soup. It is absolutely delicious. My family enjoyed it so much the first that it became a request the second time.
Flo D says
Making this right now and am so excited to taste it about 15 mins! It.smells.AWESOME!!
Paola López says
I don’t have a crockpot but I did it on the stove for an hour and let me tell you this recipe was amazing! Thank you much!
LORENZO POLLARD says
This seems to be the most common sense, homemade soup formula I have found so far. It is first on my list when I start a new batch. thanks LJP
Manny says
Does it have to be egg noodles? Would Penne also work?
Amanda says
Absolutely! The timing may be slightly different though.
Jane Saunders says
This soup was incredibly delicious. Thanks so much.
Kathy kisthardt says
Good I just looked it over I have been making it for years and years but just needed a review of it I was on target thanks
Sue says
I made this. Totally awesome!
Anu Riley says
Hi I first wanted to say it’s a wonderful recipe but wanted to see if you could help me out: I had to cook the chicken on high but I lowered it to low before adding extra wide whole wheat egg noodles. They cooked in the time suggested but broke apart in the process. I stirred them gently. I used the full amount of broth but when I added the noodles I noticed there was just enough to submerge the noodles. Would more liquid be the answer? My husband loved it so I’d like to make it again for sure.
The Chunky Chef says
I can’t say for certain, as I’ve not tested this recipe using whole wheat egg noodles. My thought is that the crockpot was still too hot from cooking on high. I chose not to add extra broth to this recipe because it would end up being a very brothy soup, but if you would like more, you could certainly add some.
Destiny says
I don’t have 2 tsp better than bouillon base, chicken flavor, will this affect anything regarding the recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
I think it deepens the chicken flavor, but it’s not absolutely necessary 🙂
Susie Robertson says
Delicious and satisfying comfort food. Loved it!
Ariana Vitello says
What if we are using pre-cooked chicken how should we adjust the timing ?!
The Chunky Chef says
It won’t need as long, you can probably cut the cook time in half. Honestly, if I were using pre-cooked chicken, I’d just make this on the stovetop though 🙂
Jerry smith says
I don’t know why but my noodles got really mushy even after only 10 minutes of being in the soup. They were Kroger brand extra wide egg noodles
The Chunky Chef says
Different noodles will cook at slightly different times, especially if your slow cooker runs a bit hotter. You can also just boil the noodles separately and add them to the soup right before serving 🙂
Miché says
This recipe is amazing. One of my four kiddos is a picky eater and he loves it. I will be making it for a second time today. Thanks for the great recipe!
Cara says
Hi! Do you put the chicken in the crock pot raw with the broth?
The Chunky Chef says
Yep 🙂
Yaritza says
Can I put the chicken breast in while they are still frozen?
The Chunky Chef says
The USDA does not recommend putting frozen chicken in slow cookers, as the low heat level keeps the meat in the danger zone for too long. So therefore, I can’t recommend doing so either.
Teresa says
I chose to cook this on the stovetop, but used the ingredients listed. I used Amish noodles that I cooked in a separate pot, as I wanted my broth clear, not thickned.
I also used a rotissary chicken instead of raw.
It is delicious! Lightly seasoned, and perfect for these cooler days.
Amanda says
How important is the rosemary?
The Chunky Chef says
It adds a nice herby flavor, but if you don’t have any, you can omit it.
RaNae Healy says
Best chicken noodle soup ever! My family loves it. I use “al dente” noodles but add more broth as needed due to the noodles sopping up the liquid.
Erica says
Egg noodles go in uncooked in the slow cooker?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, they cook in the slow cooker.
Briana says
Hi! Love this recipe. Third time making it. Wondering about adding rice?
The Chunky Chef says
So glad you love it! Rice instead of the noodles? I think that would be yummy 🙂 I’d probably cook the rice separately, just to make sure it’s cooked properly.