All Posts, by Date » Lunch / Dinner » Slow Cooker » Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
By: Amy
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This Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup is as comforting as it is delicious. Packed with juicy chicken, tender vegetables, and hearty noodles it is a satisfying soup that practically cooks itself!
Jump to:
- Reasons to Love this Recipe
- Video Tutorial
- Ingredient Information (With Alternative Suggestions)
- Step By Step Instructions (With Images)
- Recipe FAQs
- Other Slow Cooker Recipes to Try
- Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup is an absolute winner, especially on busy weeknights when you don't have the energy to whip up a complicated meal. Here are some reasons why I think you will love it too:
Reasons to Love this Recipe
- No Pre-Cooking: Once you have chopped your vegetables you can literally throw everything into the slow cooker and walk away with no need to sauté anything beforehand.
- Everything You Need in One Bowl: With fresh vegetables, lean protein from chicken breast, and carbohydrates from the pasta, it's a well-balanced and satisfying bowl of soup.
- Dinner Time Breeze: You can have everything prepped in the morning and when you come home in the evening you have a delicious hot meal waiting for you.
- Cozy and Comforting: There is just something about a bowl of chicken noodle soup that feels just like a warm hug! This is the perfect soup to cozy up with on a cold day or when you are feeling under the weather.
Video Tutorial
Ingredient Information (With Alternative Suggestions)
For the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken Breast: You can also use thighs if you prefer.
- Onion & Celery: This is the flavour base of the soup. You can replace the celery with extra onion or vice versa. You could also use leek.
- Carrots: The carrots add a little sweetness (as well as providing vitamins and fibre). You could try replacing them with other root vegetables such as parsnips.
- Garlic: Adds depth of flavour to the soup.
- Dried Thyme: Adds a warm, earthy flavour to the soup. Rosemary could be used as an alternative.
- Bay leaves: Adds an earthy flavour. If you don't have any you can skip them.
- Chicken Stock/Broth: This is the liquid base for the soup and adds flavour. Vegetable stock/broth would also work instead. If cooking for young children use homemade chicken stock or low sodium.
- Spaghetti: You can replace with other types of pasta, such as macaroni or farfalle.
- Lemon Juice: Added to the end of cooking to add a tangy, citrus flavour to help balance out the richness of the broth.
- Parsley: Added to the end to help balance out the soup and add brightness and freshness.
Step By Step Instructions (With Images)
- Add Raw Ingredients to Slow Cooker: Add all the ingredients except the pasta, lemon and parsley. Cook on low for 6 hours (or high for 3.5 hours).
- Cook Spaghetti: Once the soup has cooked for the set time, snap the spaghetti into thirds and cook according to pack instructions.
- Remove Chicken Breasts and Shred: Transfer the chicken breasts to a clean chopping board and use two forks to shred the chicken meat.
- Return the Chicken and Add the Spaghetti
- Finish with Lemon Juice and Chopped Parsley: Don't skip this step, it really elevates the soup by adding brightness and freshness.
Recipe FAQs
What size of slow cooker do I need?
As there is a good bit of liquid in this recipe I recommend you use at least a 6-quart slow cooker (5.6 litres). If your slow cooker is smaller I would recommend cutting the recipe in half.
Do you have to use breast meat?
No, you can use thigh meat if you prefer it. Cooking with the bone in will also provide more flavour.
Can I use frozen chicken?
It is not recommended to cook frozen chicken in a slow cooker due to the extended time required for the chicken to reach cooking temperature. This can increase the risk of food-borne illnesses. You should always thaw the chicken in the refrigerator prior to slow cooking.
Can I use other vegetables?
Yes, you can easily customise this recipe. I do feel the carrot, celery and onion give the soup great flavour but I often add some extra vegetables. Just consider the cooking time. I often add some peas or corn but always towards the end of the cooking time (when I add the noodles).
Do you have to use spaghetti noodles?
I grew up with chicken noodle soup made with spaghetti noodles so that is how I enjoy it. You can, of course, use any pasta you wish. The cooking time may vary slightly. I recommend cooking it for the stated time and if not ready, continue to cook on high and check it every couple of mins until done.
What stock/broth is best to use?
The better quality the stock is, the nicer the soup will be.
If cooking for young children you want to make sure you keep the sodium levels down. I recommend using homemade stock but if that sounds too much like hard work then look for low-sodium stocks.
How do you store leftovers?
Any leftovers I usually store in the fridge and eat the next day. If you want to freeze it, I recommend freezing it before you add the noodles.
Can I serve this soup to a baby?
If making this for a baby I recommend that you use homemade chicken stock in order to keep sodium levels down. Alternatively, you can add water and use split chicken breasts (bone-in chicken breasts) which will provide more flavour in the absence of chicken stock/broth.
Make sure that the vegetables are cut so that they aren't a choking hazard and are cooked soft enough that you can squish them between your fingers.
A great way to serve this soup to a baby is to use a slotted spoon to remove the solid pieces into a bowl and then add just a little of the broth.
Read more about soup for babies.
Other Slow Cooker Recipes to Try
- Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Slow Cooker Sausage Hotpot
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Looking for more healthy kid recipes?Sign up for myfree recipe newsletter toget new family friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more kid-friendly inspiration onPinterest andInstagram.
4.88 from 57 votes
Author: Amy
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
A delicious and comforting soup that can made with very little effort.
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 6 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
Serves:8
Hover over "serves" value to reveal recipe scaler
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Equipment
Slow Cooker 6 quart
Ingredients
- 700g (1½ pounds) Skinless Chicken Breast See Note 1
- 1 medium Onion, finely chopped
- 240g (approx. 3 medium) Carrots, peeled and chopped See Note 2
- 80g (approx. 3 stalks) Celery, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon Minced Garlic
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 litres (8 cups) Chicken Stock See Note 3
- 200g (8oz) Spaghetti, snapped into thirds
- 1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Add chicken, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and chicken stock to a slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (or high for 3.5 hours). (Cook until the chicken reaches 74ºC (165ºF) adding more time if needed.
Snap the spaghetti into thirds and cook according to the pack instructions, drain.
Remove the cooked chicken breast and shred using two forks, the meat should fall apart easily.
Add the chicken back into the cooker along with the spaghetti. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley and serve.
Video
Recipe Notes
- You can replace the breast meat with thigh meat if you prefer. Just remove the bone and shred it at the same stage as you would the breast meat.
- I slice the thinner part of the carrot to give rounds and then dice the thicker end of the carrot. Slice/dice to your preference.
- For young children you should use homemade or low-sodium chicken stock to reduce the sodium level. Alternatively, reduce the amount of stock and replace it with water.
Recipe Update March 2023:Original recipe cooked spaghetti in slow cooker which could result in an overly starchy soup. Noodles now cooked separately for better results. Original recipe available upon request; the only difference is cooking the spaghetti directly in slow cooker for 15min (on high) when returning the shredded chicken to the soup.
Nutritional information is an ESTIMATE, calculated using an online nutrition calculator. The facts will vary depending on the brands of products used and they should be used as a rough GUIDE only.
Nutritional facts
Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 540mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5125IU | Vitamin C: 5.9mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
Course:Lunch / Main meal
Cuisine:Soup
Did you make this recipe?Tag me on Instagramat @healthylittlefoodies or leave me acomment & rating below.
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Meet Amy
Amy Whiteford runs the blog Healthy Little Foodies. She is a mum to two, has a BSc (Hons) Food Science, PGDE Primary Education and a Certificate in Childhood Nutrition. She uses her experience and knowledge to create healthy and delicious recipes for kids. Explore the site for creative ideas, tips, and inspiration! Read more
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Reader Interactions
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156 Comments
Linda says
Hi Amy, my family loves this recipe , thank you so much. On another note, what slow cooker do you use for this recipe and how many litres is it ? Is there one you can recommend? I am looking to replace my old one. Thanks again.Reply
Amy says
Thanks Linda, I'm so happy you like it.
I have the Cuisinart Cook Central which I love as you can sear/brown the food right in the slow cooker before setting it to slow cook. It also has a steam function but I haven't used that function. It is quite a large pot, I believe 6L but I'm not 100% sure.
Reply
Linda says
Hi Amy, my family loves this recipe , thank you so much . On another note, what slow cooker do you use ? Recommend? I am looking to replace my old one. Thanks again.Reply
Hansen says
Possible to cook this in an instant pot?
Reply
Amy says
You could but I can't give you timings without trying, sorry.
Reply
Nicole W says
Hi can you use any type of cooked pasta for this? Or is spaghetti the best choice?
Reply
Amy says
Any pasta will work : )
Reply
MA says
I tried this recipe in an instant pot this evening - 20 minutes on High Pressure. It was so good!Reply
Amy says
Good to know, thanks MA
Reply
Ameina says
This is my go to chicken noodle recipe. The kids love it and my husband, who’s not a soup fan, always goes for seconds!Reply
Amy says
Brilliant! Thank you for taking the time to rate and let me know 🙂
Reply
Danielle Weir says
My go to recipe! I use this recipe every time I make chicken noodle soup. It's so tasty! I've got it in the slow cooker just now for kids coming home from school however this time I'm using turkey (chicken is too high in price so hoping it will work nicely) and letting them choose between chicken noodle or chicken and potato for a wee changeReply
Amy says
Hope the turkey went well, glad you enjoy the soup 🙂
Reply
D Cinder says
I had great hopes for the soup, but it did have lack luster in terms of broth or use high-quality chicken stock and ended up adding garlic salt to add some flavor. I really think this recipe is missing some thing.Reply
Kate says
So bland and tasteless. I used the stock and followed directions exactly. Ended up adding a ton of salt just so it didn’t taste like water.
Reply
Amy says
Hi Kate, sorry you didn't enjoy the soup. I wonder if the brand of chicken stock makes a difference. We have always enjoyed this soup and the recipe has had a lot of positive feedback.
Reply
Bridget F says
My family and I loved this recipe. The Spagetti noodles made such a difference for not getting so mushy.Reply
Amy says
Thanks Bridget, I'm so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Reply
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