Chicken Noodle Soup in the Slow Cooker
This chicken noodle soup is so good and so simple that you won’t believe you ever made it another way!
Ingredients
- 2 carrots sliced (about 1 cup)
- 3 stalks celery sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic smashed peeled and coarsely chopped
- 3 1/2 lb. whole chicken some or all skin removed, if desired
- 8 cups water
- 2 – 3 tsp. salt to taste (3 works well if you’re not on a low sodium diet)
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. dried dill or thyme
- 2 cups fine or extra fine egg noodles (use wheat/gluten-free, if needed) or use quick-cooking farro or barley
Instructions
- Put the carrots, celery, onions and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker and lay the chicken on top of them. Add the remaining ingredients except the noodles and cook on low for 6 – 10 hours, or on high for 3 – 4 hours.
- Transfer the chicken to a colander placed inside of a large bowl to catch extra juices and let it cool (if you don’t have time to let it cool, you can work with very clean rubber gloves instead.) Meanwhile, add the uncooked noodles (or farro or barley) to the slow cooker (SEE TIP BELOW).
- Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken and shred the chicken meat with your fingers. Return 2 1/2 cups of the chicken to the soup, and reserve and refrigerate or freeze the rest of the chicken for another use.
Notes
Tip: If you want the noodles to stay firmer, cook them separately, drain them, toss them with a little butter or oil, and add them to each soup bowl as you serve it so they don’t absorb too much liquid. This is an especially good idea if you won’t serve the soup right away. Alternatively, you can cook wild rice, farro or other grain and put them in the bowls before adding the soup. It gives family members the chance to put in however much they want.
Scramble Flavor Booster: If you have them, add a sprig or two of fresh rosemary, parsley, sage and/or oregano. For a different flavor on day 2, stir in some chipotles in adobo or salsa verde.
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Nutrition
Calories: 251kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 20gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 654mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6g
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