Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup, a delicious and comforting meal with very little prep work.
I often get emails requesting slow cooker recipes and I can understand why. Dinner time can be stressful; often the kids are tired, hungry and cranky. This is why slow cookers are great, 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.
Since my eldest started school I have found slow cookers particularly useful. His busy after school schedule means that when we get in the door we need a meal ready and waiting for us. This Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup is one of our favourites.
The great thing about this soup is that once you have chopped your vegetables you can literally throw everything into the slow cooker and walk away. There is no need to sauté the vegetables beforehand. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t!
After the soup has been cooking on a low setting for 6 hours you should remove the chicken and shred it up. The chicken just falls apart and is lovely and succulent. Perfect for kids.
When I post recipes I often receive quite a few questions. I make the recipes a few times before I actually post them and by that stage it is second nature to me. I often forget to explain the reasoning behind things, say how it can be adapted and how you can store it.
I have been running the blog for a few years now and have a better understanding on what readers need and want to know about a recipe. Please keep asking the questions, it helps me become a better blogger.
Here are some tips, tricks and information you might find useful when making this Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup.
Do you have to use breast meat?
No, I often use thigh meat and it literally falls off the bone. There was a time my kids only ate thigh meat as they found the breast too dry and difficult to eat. Now I use the different cuts interchangeable. I find slow cooking in liquid makes the meat so succulent, regardless of the cut, making it perfect for kids.
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 cook time (when I add the noodles).
Do you have to use spaghetti noodles?
I grew up with chicken noodle soup with spaghetti noodles in it so that is how I make 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 5-10 mins until done.
What stock is best to use?
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 leftover Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup?
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.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
A delicious and comforting soup with very little prep.
Ingredients
- 700g (1 1/2 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 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 litres (8 cups) Chicken Stock *See Note 3
- 250g (8.8oz) Spaghetti, snapped into pieces *See Note 4
- 1 tbsp 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
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 pasta. Switch to a high setting, cover and cook for around 15 - 20 mins, until the noodles are cooked.
Stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
Serve
Recipe Notes
- You can replace the breast meat with thigh meat if you prefer. Just remove the bone and shred 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 with water.
- You can use any pasta you wish but the cooking time may vary, check every five mins after the set cooking time, until cooked. I like to use spaghetti and snap it into thirds, you can snap it into smaller pieces if you prefer.
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.
Hi! This looks like a yummy and easy recipe! Just wondering if I can leave the chicken cooking for more than 6 hours? Thanks!
Hi!
I’ll be trying this. Looks yummy!
Just a quick question, do you need to add oil in the slow cooker before adding the ingredients?
Hi Di, no – I just add the ingredients straight to the cooker. 🙂
My pasta went dough like what did I do wrong I sfollowed exactly
Hi Emma, I’m not sure what went wrong. Did you add the pasta at the end of cooking? Was it dried pasta or fresh? I used dried so fresh would need less time to cook.
hello is their an easy alternative for the chicken stock instead of using slow cooker what else can i cool thr chicken stock by
Hi Anh, I’m sorry – I don’t quite understand what you are asking.
Hi Amy, just put this soup on, only had 2 chicken breasts, ie 200g. Do I reduce the cooking time?
Thanks
Hi Marie, I’d just keep it the same. 🙂
We have eaten this 3 days straight! Very tasty and kids love it.
3 days 😉 good job! The recipe does make a lot!! Glad you like it, thanks for commenting and rating.
Hi can i cook this on a higher setting in 4hours?
Hi Daniela, yes 4 hours on high should work well 🙂
Hi there do I have to cook chicken (brown in a pan before putting in slow cooker)? Thanks in advance
Hi Abbey, no need to brown the chicken before putting it is the slow cooker 🙂
This looks really yummy. Planning to try this week. Just wanting to know if I put the chicken breasts in slow cooker whole or should I cut into smaller pieces? Thanks
I just scrolled back up to top & saw your photos of whole chicken breasts – doh! Sorry, please disregard my previous comment.
Hi Bec, yes you just need to pop the chicken in whole (nice and easy!). You can also use skinless chicken thighs.
Cooking this now, already smells great thankyou !! I’m cooking it on high but I found I could not use all the 2L in my slow cooker so I used 1 and half ..
Hi Katrina, thanks for the comment. I hope you enjoyed it, did you find the 1.5 litres enough?
Prepared this today with great success. Absolutely beautiful! Husband, Mother-in-law and I all thoroughly enjoyed & thank you for posting such a simple yet delicious recipe. This will now be a winter staple in our household
Hello your recipe looks both yummy and easy. What is the serving size approximately? 1 cup? Thanks
Hi Jennifer, Sorry but I’m not sure, to be honest. It is more than a cup though.
Loved this and my daughter did aswell ❤️❤️Had for dinner and now in soup cup for work tommorrow and l can’t wait to warm it up
Excellent! Delighted you both liked it and thanks so much for taking the time to give feedback 🙂
Quick Question-Do you cook the pasta before you put it in the crock pot or is that when it cooks? This looks so yummy!
Hi Allison, it cooks in the slow cooker 🙂 Enjoy!
Can I use fine noodles?
Hi Pauline, I’m sure you could – they might not need as long to cook.
Just put all the ingredients in. Can’t wait to try it!
I’m doing the 4 hours on high. Is there any difference between 4 on high or 6on low?
HI Brie, sorry that I am just seeing this message now. There isn’t much difference between the two, it just depends on what timing works best for you. Hope you enjoyed it.
Wondering if I can leave the chicken cooking for more than 6 hours? Thanks!
Hi Paige, I haven’t actually cooked it for longer but if cooking on low you could cook for longer. 6-8 should be good.
Kids loved this and so did I (with a little salt). Will be adding this to our meal plan rota. So easy! Thanks
Fab, Kristie! I have actually just made this, ready for when we get back from soccer practice tonight!
Came across this recipe so I cooked it exactly the same and it was great 🙂
Thanks for the feedback, Zoe. Glad you liked it 🙂
Hi, I’ve just seen this recipe. Looks delicious will certainly be trying this. Just used my slow cooker for the first time in ages. I made a lovely beef stew and was looking for some soups I could make with it.
Thanks Sami, hope you enjoy it 🙂
Hi Amy,
It was absolutely delicious!
Thank you for the recipe.
This was my first time making soup. This recipe is delicious and easy to follow. My family loved it!
your site is my go-to recipe book when I need to find a good recipe quick and I know it’s going to be good.
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much, George. Comments like this really make my day and I really appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback. I hope you continue to enjoy the site 🙂
I want to half the ingredients to get around 4 servings. Should I half the cooking time?
Hi Cameron, no I wouldn’t half the cooking time. The heat may be distributed differently unless you use a smaller slow cooker. The soup freezes well so you could always freeze half of the soup.
Hi, this looks great. Can it be frozen?
Hi Janice, yes. I usually freeze it before adding the noodles. 🙂
Amy, I love this recipe and have made it several times now for my daughter – freezing it into small portions. It’s amazing! I’m making it this week for dinner for the entire family. I came to the page to add ingredients to my shopping list and just noticed this so wanted to give you a heads up. Right under the name of the dish, the description says “A delicious and comforting soup with very little soup” 🙂 I’m thinking it meant to say very little prep! Haha. Thanks again for the great recipe.
Hi Jill, thank you for your lovely comment. I’m delighted that you love this soup! Thanks for pointing out the error, I do get my husband to proofread but he misses a lot!
Hi Amy! I love this recipe. I’ve made it for my daughter several times, freezing it into individual portions. And I’m actually making it this week for the entire family. I was adding the ingredients to my shopping list, and noticed that the description of the dish is “A delicious and comforting soup with very little soup” 🙂 I’m sure the second “soup” was supposed to be “prep”! Wanted to let you know 🙂 Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Hi Amy,
Thanks for your lovely recipes.
I made this earlier following the recipe exactly but with about 30g less chicken (next time id add even less chicken!) and it didn’t have much flavour. I wonder what I’ve done wrong as everyone else says it’s extremely tasty! I added 4.5 chicken stock cubes and 2l water, does that sound right?
Best wishes,
Kirsten
Hi Kristen, sorry that this didn’t work out for you. I don’t tend to use stock cubes but I’d say 4.5 stock cubes sounds about right, is that what it said in the packet? Maybe the stock cubes weren’t flavourful?
What other vegetable can I add to the soup?
Hi Debbie, you could try adding corn, turnip, parsnip, spinach, broccoli…
This recipe is absolutely AMAZING. I was looking for a chicken soup recipe that was
“different” and this fit the bill. My goodness, I could bathe in this (tho I promise I won’t) Thank you for posting this.
Ha ha!! My first ever comment saying that someone would like to bathe in my soup!!!! Thank you for taking the time to rate and comment!
Hi. I’m not much of a cooker Haha crockpot recipes are my go to. Is the chicken supposed to be frozen or no?
Hi Terra, I used fresh chicken. 🙂
I have frozen chicken and can take it out to thaw for 1.5hr can I then put it in the crock pot on low for 6hrs even if still 1/2 frozen?
Hi Ivy, personally I wouldn’t cook frozen chicken in the slow cooker. Cooking from frozen means that the chicken will hover in the danger zone of warmth where bacteria can easily grow without being killed off in the cooking process.
i made this and it was YUMMO!! so good and not super heavy!!
Brilliant! Glad you liked it, thanks for taking the time to tell me. 🙂
I’m sure this soup tastes delicious. All of your recipes that I have tried have been an absolute success!
Thanks Max!
Made this yesterday! Took to a Christmas Eve family gathering! Was a hit! Very good! Will make again!
Thanks Melinda, glad it was a hit! Hope you had a fantastic Christmas 🙂
Hi, Im making this tomorrow for my lunches at work whilst the weather is still chilly. Thank you for the recipe xx
Thanks Katie, hope you enjoyed it 🙂
Hello do I need to add water x
Hi Joidie, no just the 2 litres of stock. 🙂
Hi iam looking forward to trying this I bought a slow cooker yesterday. Iam only cooking this soup for two and using chicken pieces is it still 6 hours to cook? Thanks
Hi Stacey, I would personally stick to the recipe and freeze any leftovers. What do you mean by chicken pieces? Thighs / leg / wings etc? Thighs work well in this recipe. If you mean breast cut into pieces I’d be worried it would be too dry.
This is probably going to sound really silly, how do I make 2litres chicken stock?
Hi Hannah, if you don’t have homemade stock then you can buy stock or use stock cubes to make it. The pack should tell you how many cubes you will need to make 2 litres.
Just made this for my partner and I. It was so delicious! Partner said best chicken soup he ever had.
Brilliant! Thank you 🙂
That was delicious! I just made it. My Kids and I both loved it. Thanks for the recipe!
So glad it was a hit all round, thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Okay. The vegetable been in about 30 mins now. Do i just put the chicken in now? Then wait 30-20 mins shred it up before it finished cooking. My recipe that my friend given me is the same but without the spaghetti noodle. Do i just do what your recipe is? Since I dont get hers?
Hi Bonnie, I am unsure what you mean. You put the chicken in at the same time as the veggies and cook on low for 6 hours. Then you remove the chicken to shred it, add the noodles and cook for a further 15-20 min 🙂
Will it b ok if broke chicken up at 4 hours as my mrs got involved and didn’t listen to the time i said while i was out lol
Hi Jamie, I’m guessing I’m too late now…if cooking on low you will need 6 hours. 4 may be ok on high but as I haven’t trialled it, I can’t say for sure. Sorry.
Hi, I’m using a 1.5 litre crock pot, how much stock should I use?
I made this last night and it is by far the best chicken soup!!! I used a whole chicken instead and no noodles and it was perfection. I’ve got a cold so heaped in 4 tablespoons of minced garlic…and any excuse to have more garlic. Thanks for sharing. Definitely making this again 🙂
I was looking forward to this soup for my weekday lunch. Have to say I’m a little disappointed and happy for any suggestions. The spaghetti tastes cluggy not like a noodle I’m use to in this style of soup. Other flavours are spit on just not happy with the addition of the spaghetti.
Hi Suzanne, thanks for the feedback. Did you add the spaghetti at the end of the cook? I wonder if they were overcooked as I have never had that problem? You could try vermicelli egg noodles, they may be more like what you are looking for.
Hi Suzanne, I plan to make this tonight and then store in the fridge to consume over a couple of days. I assume it is safe to re-heat and eat in portions for 3 – 4 days subject to the chicken best before date?
Hi, I am a mum of two lottle boys also and we love this soup and have made it a few times. Some changes we made are cooking the spaghetti on a stove top and keeping it seperate to add some to each bowl, as we found it got too gluggy/swollen overnight in the fridge to have as left overs. Also we serve it with a quick fresh made mint gremolata and it really lifts the dish. Kids love it minus the gremolata. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Thanks, Krissy and thank you for sharing your tips 🙂
Hi,
Can I use shredded BBQ chicken ? Would you lesson the coking time?
Hi Larissa, Sorry I am unsure what shredded BBQ chicken in. It is already cooked or raw? If cooked you can just add at the end of the cook.
Hi Amy,
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I made it for the first time for my sick family and they loved it! It’s so easy!!!! We have made it a few times now and it’s a family favourite. We also make the pasta separately and add to the bowl as we go. I found that the liquid was absorbed by the pasta when you add the noodles to the slow cooker. Just wanted to thank you again. = )
Thanks, Kathleen! So glad you enjoy it! It is also a favourite at our house too 🙂 .