Description
This comforting Crockpot Chicken Soup is a hearty and flavorful meal perfect for any day. Tender boneless chicken breasts are slow-cooked with fresh vegetables, aromatic herbs, and savory chicken broth, then combined with egg noodles and finished with a splash of lemon juice for brightness. Easy to prepare and cook, this soup makes a wholesome and nourishing dish that warms you from the inside out.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Broth
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 cups chicken broth
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Herbs and Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Additional Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked egg noodles
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the Crockpot: Place the boneless, skinless chicken breasts at the bottom of the crockpot.
- Add Vegetables: Layer the chopped onion, sliced carrots, chopped celery, and minced garlic over the chicken breasts evenly.
- Add Herbs: Sprinkle the dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, and bay leaves over the vegetables to infuse flavor throughout the soup.
- Pour Broth: Carefully pour 8 cups of chicken broth over all ingredients and gently stir to combine without disturbing the layering too much.
- Season: Add salt and black pepper to taste, ensuring the soup is well-seasoned before cooking.
- Slow Cook: Cover the crockpot with its lid and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high heat for 3 to 4 hours until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the crockpot, use two forks to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Return Chicken: Put the shredded chicken back into the crockpot with the soup to combine flavors.
- Add Noodles: Stir in 1 cup of uncooked egg noodles and cook on high heat for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the noodles are tender and cooked through.
- Finish with Lemon: Stir in the freshly squeezed juice of one lemon for a bright, fresh flavor and check seasoning, adjusting salt or pepper if needed.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- For a thicker soup, you can mash some of the cooked carrots and celery before adding the noodles.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth to control the salt content if desired.
- Fresh herbs can be used instead of dried, but reduce quantity by half.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- To make this soup gluten-free, substitute egg noodles with gluten-free pasta or omit noodles altogether.
