Homemade Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

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!

Homemade Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

4.78 from 87 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Calories: 175

Servings: 6 servings

(hover over # to adjust)

Print Rate Pin

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!

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

1. 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.

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Recipe posted first on Spend With Pennies, where I contribute recipes monthly.