Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup from Scratch
Founders
6
25 minutes
6–7 hours on Low, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through
According to package directions, near serving time
There are plenty of shortcuts for chicken noodle soup, but this is one of those recipes where a little patience pays off.
Chicken, vegetables and herbs slowly simmer together in the slow cooker, enriching the chicken broth with the flavour and body of bone-in thighs. You can start with homemade stock or a good low-sodium broth. The chicken becomes tender, the vegetables take on some of the flavour of the broth, and everything comes together in a simple bowl of soup that feels familiar from the first spoonful.
The important trick is the noodles. They don’t need hours in the slow cooker. Adding them near the end, or cooking them separately, keeps them pleasantly firm instead of turning the soup into chicken noodle porridge.
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2½–3 lb (1.1–1.4 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil, optional, for browning
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried sage
- 8 cups (2 L) low-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
- 2 cups (500 mL) water
- To Finish
To Finish
- 2 cups dry egg noodles
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice, optional
- Additional salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Start with the Chicken
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with 1½ tsp of the salt and the black pepper.
For an extra layer of flavour, heat the optional olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken skin-side down for 4–5 minutes, working in batches if needed, then turn and brown the other side briefly.
Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.
Browning is optional, but it gives the finished broth more depth.
Build the Broth
Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic around the chicken.
Add the bay leaves, thyme and sage.
Pour in the chicken broth and water. The chicken should be mostly submerged; some vegetables may sit above the liquid. Check the slow cooker’s recommended fill limit before cooking.
Cover and cook on Low for 6–7 hours, or until the chicken is very tender and reaches at least 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, without touching bone. Begin checking at 6 hours.
Remove the Chicken
Transfer the chicken to a large plate or cutting board.
Once cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones, checking carefully for small bone fragments.
Pull or chop the meat into bite-sized pieces. Leave some larger chunks if that is your preferred texture.
Strain and Adjust the Broth
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Skim excess fat from the surface if desired.
For a clearer soup, strain the broth into a heat-safe vessel, reserving the cooked carrots and celery. Return the broth and reserved vegetables to the slow cooker. For a rustic soup, leave the vegetables in place and break up the softened onion as desired.
Taste and add the remaining ½ tsp salt only if needed.
Return the chicken to the broth and ensure everything is hot before serving.
Cook the Noodles
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the egg noodles according to package directions, stopping about 1 minute before they are completely tender.
Drain well and keep separate from the soup until serving.
This is our preferred method because the noodles stay firm and the leftovers reheat much better.
Finish and Serve
Stir the parsley into the soup.
Add the optional lemon juice and taste once more, adjusting salt and pepper as needed.
Divide the noodles among individual bowls and ladle the hot chicken soup over them.
A small squeeze of lemon doesn’t make the soup taste lemony; it simply brightens the broth.