Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup – cooking the chicken drumsticks low and slow brings out a ton of flavor and makes for the most perfect cup of soup you can imagine. Set-it-and-forget-it kind of instructions are what this recipe is about!
When I first bought my Slow Cooker, this soup was the first thing I made. My husband came home from work and pretty much ate half of it himself and then announced me the queen of Chicken Soups!
Not like I’ve never made anything like this before, but simmering the chicken on the stove just doesn’t produce the same flavor profile. At least not when you have electric burners, where you can only go this low on the temperature. Lowest boil on the stove is still faster than what you can get from the slow cooker.
Lower simmering temperature allows for most flavor extraction not just from the meat itself, but from the bones as well. In fact, more flavor comes from the bones when it comes to good broth, then from the chicken itself. It definitely doesn’t hurt that all of this flavor extracting magic can be happening while you’re at work.
I hope knowing that dinner can virtually be ready when you get home from work, will make going to work on Monday a little easier.
Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients for Chicken Noodle Soup:
- drumsticks or chicken breasts
- medium carrots or baby carrots
- large onion, peeled, split in half
- celery stalks (optional)
- kosher salt
- peppercorns
- dry garlic flakes or garlic cloves, peeled
- bay leaf
- water or broth
- egg noodles
- chopped parsley
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup:
Place the chicken, carrots, onion, celery (optional) and spices into the Slow Cooker. Cover with 3 quarts water or broth, then add peppercorns, garlic flakes, bay leaf and salt. Cover with lid. Set to cook on ‘High’ for 4.5 hours or on ‘low’ for 6-8 hours.
Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the noodles to keep them from sticking. Stir to coat. Refrigerate until ready to use.
After 4.5 hours it will look like this. Because the broth was not skimmed of impurities during the cooking process, it will need to be done now.
Line a sieve with 2-3 layers of paper towel and set it over a large (5-6 its) pot. Drain the broth through the paper towel lined sieve discarding the onion & celery stalks, but keeping the carrots and the drumsticks. Rinse drumsticks and carrots from the impurities that are stuck to it.
Shred the chicken meat into as small of pieces as you wish, discarding the skin and bones. Slice carrots into small pieces.
Heat the noodles before adding to the soup. Add the shredded chicken, carrots and chopped parsley (I had barely a tablespoon of parsley at the time, but you go ahead and add the called for amount). Stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning amount.
Now ladle yourself a bowl and enjoy with a good crusty baguette.
Looking for more Soup recipes? Try these:
- Roasted Tomato Soup – A creamy tomato soup recipe.
- Zuppa Toscana – An Olive Garden soup copycat.
- Borsch – Ukrainian Beet Soup.
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe that's hearty and simple to make! Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup made by slow cooking chicken, carrots, onions, and egg noodles making this the best Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.
Ingredients
- 8-9 drumsticks or 3 chicken breasts
- 2 medium carrots or 1 cup of baby carrots
- 1 large onion peeled, split in half
- 2 celery stalks optional
- 1 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 1/2 Tbsp dry garlic flakes or 3 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 Qt water or broth
- 2 1/2 cups egg noodles
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
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Place the chicken, carrots, onion, celery (optional) and spices into the Crockpot. Cover with 3 Qts water or broth, then add 1 tsp peppercorns, 1/2 Tbsp garlic flakes, 1 bay leaf, and 1½ Tbsp salt. Cover with lid. Set to cook on ‘High’ for 4.5 hours or on ‘low’ for 6-8 hours.
-
Cook 2½ cups noodles according to package instructions. Drain. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the noodles to keep them from sticking. Stir to coat. Refrigerate until ready to use.
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After the 4.5 hours of cooking, the broth will need to be clarified. Line a sieve with 2-3 layers of paper towel and set it over a soup pot (4-5 qts). Drain the broth through the paper towel-lined sieve discarding the onion & celery stalks, but keeping the carrots and the drumsticks. Rinse drumsticks and carrots from the impurities that are stuck to it.
-
Shred the chicken meat into as small of pieces as you desire, discarding the skin and bones. Slice carrots into small pieces.
-
Heat the noodles before adding to the soup. Add the shredded chicken, carrots and chopped parsley (I had barely a tablespoon of parsley at the time, but you go ahead and add the called for amount). Stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning amount.
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Hello, thanks for sharing this recipe, I’m giving it a go right now!
Is it ok to simply skim the top of the impurities, rather than putting it all through the sieve with paper towel?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Lee,
It is not recommended that you open the slow cooker while it is cooking because too much heat is being lost by the frequent opening of the lid. And, because there’s no rapid boil with a slow cooker the impurities just float to the top and gather into one big chunk. So, in the end, you just collect them with a slotted spoon and put the rest of the liquid through a sieve if you’d like a crystal clear broth. If not, you can just collect whatever you can with a slotted spoon and call it a day.
I have been looking for a new chicken noodle soup recipe and am going to give this a try. It sounds wonderful. A little extra work than the recipe I usually make but sounds like it’s worth it. I actually live in Newport, Oregon and it’s Winter here. I think this soup will be great for a cold coastal night. Thank you for posting!
It makes me happy when I find a recipe that my husband asks me to make again, and this was one of them! I made it on Monday and on Thursday he asked me to make it again. The broth is so flavorful and making the soup in the crockpot couldn’t be easier. Thank you for a winner recipe.
Thank you Marina! It is crazy how much flavor gets extracted when you cook it low and slow, isn’t it? I’m glad your husband loves this soup! It’s one of our favorites too!
Is it better with the stock or water? Also, if water is used would bouillon cubes be needed?
Stock is made by cooking meat or bones in the water for several hours. So in this sense you’re making your own stock by cooking the chicken in the water. Therefor, no need to use stock or bouillon for this recipe. Thanks for your question Sherri!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on crock pot. Regards
Newport, Oregon looks so beautiful. . I lived in Seattle for almost three years and wish I ventured out more to Oregon. . so beautiful!! and this chicken soup!! Love this! and love that you made it in a slow cooker!! Brilliant and pinned!!
Thank you!
I keep telling myself that one day I will just go up north and drive south down Highway 101 and get to see all beauty of the oregon shores, now if only I had the time for everything I want to do lol
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Thanks for sharing this great idea for cooking chicken noodle soup in a crock pot! I must try it, but every time I make this soup, I’m very impatient and cook it on the stove top. Crock pot cooking will produce a much better homemade chicken stock! Great to hear you enjoyed your beach getaway 🙂
Yes, I agree with you on impatience. I am the same exact way, so I do this when I am in school all day or out doing things 🙂
How fun! We went to Newport, Oregon last summer with kids. We also visited Newport Coast Aquarium. Very nice place for getaway! 🙂