Healthy Little Foodies

Healthy Food for Kids and Babies.

You are here: Home / Lunch / Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

by — Updated 83 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

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.

Cooked Chicken Noodle Soup in Slow Cooker

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 before hand. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t!

Raw Ingredients in Slow Cooker for Chicken Noodle Soup

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.

Cooked Chicken Shredded

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 left overs 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.

Child Holding Bowl of Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Love slow cooker recipes?  Why not try my Slow Cooker Sausage Hotpot.

Have you tried this recipe? I love to hear your feedback, please leave a comment below or tag me on Facebook or Instagram

Child Holding Bowl of Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
4.95 from 18 votes
Print

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

A delicious and comforting soup with very little prep. 

Course Lunch / Main meal
Cuisine Soup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 40 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 237 kcal
Author Amy

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

  1. Add chicken, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and chicken stock to a slow cooker. 

  2. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours

  3. Remove the cooked chicken breast and shred using two forks, the meat should fall apart easily.

  4. 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.

  5. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley.

  6. Serve

Recipe Notes

  1. 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. 
  2. 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. 
  3. 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. 
  4. 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. 

Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 237 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Cholesterol 56mg 19%
Sodium 133mg 6%
Potassium 540mg 15%
Total Carbohydrates 28g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 3g
Protein 23g 46%
Vitamin A 102.5%
Vitamin C 7.1%
Calcium 3%
Iron 5.3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

 

 

Comments

  1. Hi! This looks like a yummy and easy recipe! Just wondering if I can leave the chicken cooking for more than 6 hours? Thanks!

    Reply

  2. 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?

    Reply

  3. hello is their an easy alternative for the chicken stock instead of using slow cooker what else can i cool thr chicken stock by

    Reply

  8. 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

    Reply

  9. I just scrolled back up to top & saw your photos of whole chicken breasts – doh! Sorry, please disregard my previous comment.

    Reply

  10. 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 ..

    Reply


  11. 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

    Reply


  12. 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

    Reply


  15. 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?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  19. 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.

    Reply


  20. 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!

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  23. 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.

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply


  24. 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!

    Reply

  25. 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

    Reply

    • 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?

      Reply


  27. 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.

    Reply

      • 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?

        Reply

        • 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.

          Reply


  32. Hi, Im making this tomorrow for my lunches at work whilst the weather is still chilly. Thank you for the recipe xx

    Reply

  34. 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

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  38. 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?

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

  39. 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

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply


  41. 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 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

PRIVACY POLICY AND DISCLOSURE

NUTRITION DISCLAIMER

shares