There’s something comforting about a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup, especially when it’s been simmering away in the slow cooker all day. This recipe is quite effortless, which is exactly what I needed. I wasn’t feeling the best and knew that by the end of the day, the last thing I’d want to do was cook dinner, so I popped everything into the slow cooker that morning to let it do the work and help boost the flavour along the way.
I made this simple, yet satisfying chicken noodle soup using a mix of chicken breast and thigh (I’m not usually a fan of thigh, but it gives a nice balance of flavour and tenderness), some classic veggies, and chicken stock powder, which I always keep on hand because it’s so budget-friendly. It turned out beautifully, hearty, nourishing, and perfect with some buttered bread on the side.
Only two of us ate it the first night, so there were leftovers, enough to feed four the next night. But as often happens with noodle soups, the broth had almost completely disappeared. The noodles and veggies had soaked most of it up! I wasn’t going to waste it, though.
So I popped it on the stove and added 3 cups of chicken stock to bring it back to life. I let it simmer gently, and it was just as tasty the second time around. The extra time gave the flavours even more depth. We all sat down and enjoyed another fuss-free dinner.
If you ever find yourself with leftover soup that’s gone a bit thick, just add some stock or even water with a little extra stock powder and simmer it gently, it’s a great way to stretch it into another meal.
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
- Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 teaspoons Chicken Stock Powder
- 4 cups water
- 1 chicken breast
- 2 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 125g Vermicelli Egg Noodle Pasta or pasta of choice
- squeeze of lemon juice before serving
Instructions
- Sauté the onion in olive oil for 2–3 minutes, add garlic, continue cooking for a further minute then transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add chopped vegetables, herbs, salt and pepper.
- Dissolve stock powder in 4 cups of hot water and pour it into the slow cooker.
- Add the chicken breast and thighs.
- Cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until chicken is tender.
- Remove chicken, shred with two forks, and return to the pot.
- Stir in the noodles and cook for another 30 minutes or until soft.
- If you prefer your soup to be a bit more brothy, you can add an extra cup or so of chicken stock here, just stir it through and let it heat up with the noodles.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, add lemon juice if using, and serve warm with fresh bread or toast.
Reheating Leftover Chicken Noodle Soup
If you’re serving the leftovers the next night and find that most of the liquid has been soaked up (which often happens with noodle soups), it’s really easy to bring it back to life:
- Place the leftover chicken, noodles, and veggies into a large saucepan or pot on the stove.
- Add 3 cups of chicken stock (or room temp water with 2–3 teaspoons of stock powder).
- Stir gently and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Let it simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, you can add a little extra salt, pepper, or stock powder to your liking.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 7 hours
Can You Freeze This Chicken Noodle Soup?
Yes, it freezes well , especially if you freeze it before adding the noodles. The chicken, broth, and veggies hold up well in the freezer. However, noodles can go a little soft or mushy after being frozen and reheated, so if you’re making this to freeze for later, here’s what I recommend the following freezing tips:
Before freezing: Cook the soup fully but leave out the noodles. Let it cool completely, then portion into freezer-safe containers.
When ready to eat: Defrost and reheat the soup on the stove, then stir in some freshly cooked noodles (or even rice or risoni if you’d prefer something different).
- Souper Cubes: I love freezing soup in Souper Cubes, they let you portion out individual serves, then once frozen, you can pop them out and store them in a container or freezer bag. It also frees up the cubes for your next batch.
