Slow Cooker Chicken Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Soup made with a whole chicken slow cooked in broth with herbs, spices, and veggies, the perfect comfort food for a chilly day!
Slow Cooker Chicken Soup is the ultimate comfort food, and one my family has been making for over 30 years. It’s made by adding a whole chicken to the slow cooker with celery, carrots, leeks, and onion, then covering the chicken with water, herbs, and spices. I like to add some turmeric to give the broth a nice golden color and savory flavor.
Over the years, I’ve added to this recipe to suite my family’s tastes. It’s the recipe we reach for when we have a busy day, but need something comforting at the end of the night.
If you love this recipe, you may also love my Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup, or my Slow Cooker Potato Soup!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Comforting & Nourishing – Chicken soup has always been known as a comfort food when you’re under the weather, and for good reason with all of the nutritious ingredients we’re using!
Set it & Forget it – All you have to do is add all of the ingredients and let the crockpot work its magic until it’s time to shred the chicken! It’s perfect for cold days and busy schedules.
Budget Friendly – Believe it or not, a whole chicken is typically cheaper than buying the pieces separately. Plus the bones add a ton of flavor to the broth!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken. I use a whole 4-5 pound chicken. If your chicken is larger, it can take longer to cook. Make sure you remove any giblets or neck pieces in the cavity of the chicken before cooking it.
Use a meat thermometer to make sure it’s 165°F in the middle of the chicken breast. But usually the meat is practically falling off the bone when it’s ready. We are cooking this on the High setting for the entire time.
Leeks. These have a nice savory flavor that’s similar to onion, and a great way to add more veggies to soup!
Carrots. These add a little sweetness to the soup, which helps balance out the savory notes.
Onion. I like to use a sweeter onion like Vidalia, but a yellow or white onion would work, too.
Celery. This has a nice savory note that helps the broth turn aromatic.
Garlic. I’m a garlic lover, so I like to add a ton of garlic to my soup recipes. I’m using 5 cloves, but if you don’t love it as much, you can use 1 or 2 garlic cloves instead.
Bay Leaves. This helps the chicken broth smell and taste amazing by rounding out some of the other flavors. Remove and discard the bay leaves before serving.
Spices. I like to use Italian seasoning for chicken soup. If you need it, here is my Homemade Italian Seasoning.
I also like to add some turmeric for color and flavor, and kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
Parsley. Stirring in some fresh parsley at the end adds a nice bright flavor and color to the soup.
Kitchen Tools
For this recipe, you’ll need a 6-7 quart slow cooker.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Soup
Add the whole chicken, vegetables, bay leaves, and spices to the slow cooker. Fill the slow cooker up with water until it just covers the chicken, about 8 cups.
Slow cook on High for 5-6 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the middle of the thickest part of the meat.
Carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker and place it on a baking sheet.
Once the chicken has cooled slightly, shred the meat from the chicken and discard the bones.
Place the meat back into the slow cooker and stir everything together. Discard the bay leaves, stir in the fresh parsley and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Try adding a splash of heavy cream or canned coconut milk to make a creamy chicken soup.
- For more bright fresh flavor, you can squeeze lemon juice into the soup right before serving.
- For a Tex-Mex version, try adding a teaspoon of cumin, chili powder, lime juice, corn, cilantro, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Top it with broken tortilla chips before serving.
- If you want to make this spicy, try adding some cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or a dash of hot sauce.
- Try serving this in a bowl with cooked rice or cooked gluten free pasta noodles.
Recipe Tip! You can add other veggies to this chicken soup, too! Try adding fresh spinach, kale, zucchini, or potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically, yes, you can. Add the pasta to the slow cooker and let it cook for about 20 minutes. This step would be after adding the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker. But I recommend cooking the pasta separately, and adding it to each bowl separately. Especially if you’re using gluten free pasta, which can over cook easily.
Recipe Tip! If you’d like to add some fresh herbs to the chicken broth for more flavor, try tying them in a bundle, making them easy to remove before serving. This works great with fresh thyme, rosemary, and parsley.
More Slow Cooker Soup Recipes
- Slow Cooker Steak and Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder
- Crockpot Corn Chowder
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freeze in a freezer-safe container for 3-4 months.
Cooking Tips
- I like to use a whole chicken for the best flavor, but you can also use 2-3 chicken breasts and lower the cook time to 4 hours on high. Then just shred the chicken breasts, and add them back into the slow cooker.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves before serving.
- I use a pair of tongs and a serving spoon with a longer handle to transfer the chicken to a baking sheet. It’s ok if it falls apart as you’re lifting it, just use a slotted spoon to get all of the pieces onto the baking sheet to cool a bit before shredding it. Use the spoon to check the broth and remove any small bones from the soup.
- Discard the bones and skin after shredding the meat.
- If your chicken is smaller, you can check it around 5 hours with a meat thermometer to see if it’s ready. If it’s larger, it may take more time to cook.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 5 pound whole chicken, giblets removed
- 1 medium leek, washed and chopped, white part only
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
- 3 medium stalks celery, chopped
- 8 cups water
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, washed and roughly chopped
Equipment
- 1 6-7 quart slow cooker
Instructions
- Add the whole chicken, vegetables, bay leaves, and spices to the slow cooker. Fill the slow cooker up with water until it just covers the chicken, about 8 cups.
- Place the lid on the pot and slow cook on High for 5-6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and starting to fall apart easily.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker and place it on a baking sheet.
- Once the chicken has cooled slightly, shred the meat from the chicken and discard the bones and skin. Place the meat back into the slow cooker and stir everything together.
- Discard the bay leaves, stir in the fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
- Cook this on the High setting for the entire time.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves before serving.
- I use a pair of tongs and a serving spoon with a longer handle to transfer the chicken to a baking sheet.
- It’s ok if it falls apart as you’re lifting it, just use a slotted spoon to get all of the pieces onto the baking sheet to cool a bit before shredding it.
- Use the slotted spoon to check the broth and remove any small bones from the soup.
- Discard the bones and skin after shredding the meat.
- If your chicken is smaller, you can check it around 5 hours with a meat thermometer to see if it’s ready. If it’s larger, it may take more time to cook.
Nutrition
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