This healthy crockpot chicken vegetable soup recipe is a hands-free, slow cooked chicken soup that tastes like Grandma made it. Boneless chicken thighs, fresh vegetables, chicken broth, and savory seasonings create all the flavor and comfort of classic homemade crockpot chicken vegetable soup. In this article you will also find the health benefits of eating chicken.
Here’s a classic chicken noodle and vegetable soup recipe that everyone will love so much, your people probably won’t even come up for air while devouring it. This is the ultimate comfort soup made with fresh vegetables, chicken thighs, and a few seasonings. It’s as simple as placing everything into a pot, setting it, and going about your day. It’s especially comforting when served with crusty French bread or crispy crostini.
Healthy Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe
* See full recipe below
- chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- potatoes
- carrots
- celery
- onions
- garlic
- chicken broth
- bay leaf, thyme, and parsley
- peas
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN SOUP WITH VEGETABLES IN THE CROCKPOT
- Place chicken soup ingredients in the crockpot (no precooking on the stove!)
- Set the cooker on low for 4-6 hours or high for 3 hours (*crockpot times may vary).
- During the last 30 minutes of cooking, add peas.
- Just before serving, remove the chicken thighs, shred them, and add back to the pot. Serve warm.
DO I HAVE TO PRECOOK INGREDIENTS FOR CROCKPOT CHICKEN SOUP?
You can, but it’s not necessary. This crockpot chicken soup requires zero precooking, which saves time, steps, and dishes. Just toss the chicken, vegetables, broth, and seasonings into the cooker and go do your thing while the crockpot does the heavy lifting.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP ON THE STOVE
- Heat olive oil in a 4-quart soup pot.
- Add CELERY, CARROTS, ONIONS, and GARLIC to the pot and saute until tender stirring as needed.
- Add CHICKEN BROTH, CHICKEN, POTATOES, SALT, PEPPER, BAY LEAF, and THYME to the pot.
- Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are fork tender and chicken is cooked through.
- About 10 minutes before serving, remove the chicken thighs, shred them, and add back to the pot, along with the PEAS. Serve warm.
BEST CHICKEN FOR CHICKEN SOUP
If you want juicy, fall-apart chicken that doesn’t dry out in your crockpot soup, chicken thighs win every time for me! In fact, I find boneless skinless chicken thighs to be the most convenient because when the soup is done, the thighs fall apart and there’s no gristle or bones to get in your way.
CAN I USE BONELESS CHICKEN BREASTS?
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts certainly work for this chicken soup. However, I would dice it and add it to the crockpot during the last 30-45 minutes of the cook cycle. Otherwise, boneless breast meat dries out because it lacks the fat to soften it during a long cook cycle needed for crockpot soup.
CAN I PUT RAW CHICKEN IN CHICKEN SOUP?
You can cook raw chicken in chicken soup as long as the cooking process brings the chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165° on a meat thermometer. This happens pretty effortlessly with boneless chicken thighs in crockpot chicken soup.
WHAT’S THE BEST CROCKPOT TO USE FOR CROCKPOT SOUP?
Any crockpot or slow cooker can make this chicken soup as long as it’s the right size. In these photos, I’m sporting a 3.5 quart cooker I picked up a thrift store for $4. Lucky me! It’s pretty vintage and has only 2 settings … high and low ???? But that’s all you really need for this soup. If you’re a serious crockpot person, you might like something with more features like this cooker.
Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup
INGREDIENTS
- chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- potatoes
- carrots
- celery
- onions
- garlic
- chicken broth
- bay leaf, thyme, and parsley
- peas
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
-
In a 3-quart slow cooker or crock-pot, add CHICKEN THIGHS and sprinkle with SALT and PEPPER. Add POTATOES, CELERY, CARROTS, ONION, GARLIC, BAY LEAF, THYME, and CHICKEN BROTH.
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Set the cooker on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW up to 8 hours *see recipe footnote
-
Transfer chicken thighs to a plate and shred with two forks, then stir back into the soup, along with the PEAS. Allow soup to sit a few minutes until peas are warmed through.
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Remove the bay leaf and serve warm, garnished with chopped PARSLEY.
Storage instructions
-
Allow soup to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days in the refrigerator and 30 days in the freezer. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
RECIPE NOTES
Slow cook times may vary depending on unit make and model. Please adjust accordingly when referencing recipe cooking times as your cooker may require more or less time.
Chicken Vegetable Soup STOVE INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat olive oil in a 4-quart soup pot.
- Add CELERY, CARROTS, ONIONS, and GARLIC to the pot and saute until tender stirring as needed.
- Add CHICKEN BROTH, CHICKEN, POTATOES, SALT, PEPPER, BAY LEAF, and THYME to the pot.
- Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are fork tender and chicken is cooked through.
- About 10 minutes before serving, remove the chicken thighs, shred them, and add back to the pot, along with the PEAS.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Chicken Noodle and Vegetable Soup Recipe
Here’s How We Made This Recipe Healthier
Soups tend to be high in sodium. To reduce the sodium content in this chicken noodle soup recipe, we opt for low-sodium broth, which has 40 milligrams of sodium per cup, as compared to regular broth, which has 530 mg per cup. We also cook the chicken in the broth (instead of adding already-cooked chicken), which infuses it with more savory flavor. Italian seasoning blend and fresh basil and parsley add even more flavor. Opting for whole-grain pasta over regular bumps up the fiber too—regular has 3 grams per 2-ounce serving while whole-wheat has 7 grams.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
You sure can! Either bone-in or boneless will work here, just remove any skin and trim the fat before adding to the slow cooker. If you use bone-in thighs, use 1¼ pounds (to account for the weight of the bones) and discard the bones when you shred the cooked meat.
Can I use leftover chicken?
What a great idea! So the chicken doesn’t get mushy, skip adding it at the beginning of cooking. Instead, stir in 1 cup of shredded cooked chicken when you add the pasta.
Can I use other vegetables?
Yes, you can. Soup is actually a great way to use up leftover bits of vegetables in your refrigerator. You can add just about anything at the beginning of cooking, but if you want to use up cooked vegetables (say, some leftover roasted carrots) or some particularly soft veggies, such as peas, add those with the pasta in Step 2.
I don’t have rotini pasta, can I use another shape?
Any shape will work here! What a great way to use up part of a box.
Can I make this chicken noodle soup recipe ahead of time?
Who doesn’t love having leftover soup in the fridge? This one is a great candidate for making ahead of time, although, for the best results, we suggest cooking the rotini in a pot of boiling water and storing the cooked pasta separately. Pasta notoriously soaks up liquid, leaving you with mushy noodles. So at the end of Step 1, shred the chicken and stir back into the soup. Let the soup cool to room temperature, then refrigerate the soup and pasta separately for up to 3 days. Add the cooked pasta to your soup as you reheat it. Or if you don’t mind mushy noodles, you could add some more broth or a bit of water to thin the soup when you reheat it, if desired (to account for the liquid absorbed by the pasta).
Can I freeze this chicken noodle soup?
Yes, definitely. Again, we suggest skipping the pasta in the recipe. If you’ll eat the entire batch when you reheat it, you can bring it to a simmer on the stove and then cook the pasta in it before serving. Otherwise, follow the advice above for cooking the pasta separately.
What are some other ways I can flavor this soup?
There are so many ways to season this soup. You could trade the Italian seasoning for curry powder, and serve with cilantro and mint instead of parsley and basil. Or leave it as is and stir in a spoonful of pesto to amp up the basil flavor. Taco seasoning would be another good alternative to the Italian seasoning. If you go that route, cilantro is a good substitute for the fresh herbs, as is cotija cheese for the Parmesan.
I don’t have a slow cooker, can I make this chicken noodle soup on the stovetop?
This recipe was developed for a slow cooker. If you don’t have one, we suggest trying one of these other recipes that were created specifically for the stove:
Ingredients
Directions
Equipment
4-qt. slow cooker
Nutrition Facts
Health Benefits of Eating Chicken
Ask any non-vegetarian how much he craves for chicken? Ask any chicken lover who loves to have chicken tikka and butter chicken at the best restaurant in Dubai? Ask any gym-goer who wants to intake proteins in the form of butter chicken? Well, they all will be able to tell you how much they depend on chicken. The most common type of poultry is quite famous for its obvious reasons.
Chicken is called the food of champions for nonvegetarians. When you hear and taste the crunch of chicken dishes, a pure vegetarian won’t be able to understand this immense bonding of chicken foodie. You might be wondering, is having chicken really worth it? Do they really have any health benefits? Do they impact our body in a true and positive sense? Well the answer to all your questions lie here in this article: Here we have jotted a few health benefits of eating chicken that too at an Indian restaurant in Dubai:
1. Building muscles
The most prominent benefit of eating chicken is that it helps to build muscles in the human body. Because chicken is a rich source of proteins. There is a common saying that lies in the context of eating chicken: the more you take proteins, the less you gain fats. You must be surprised to know that even 31 grams of protein intake will help to bulk up your muscles and keep your body fit and healthy. If you are a fitness freak or gym-goer, then you should definitely have chicken dishes in your meal.
2. Relieving Stress
Chicken also acts as a stress buster for humans. Candidly speaking, chicken contains two different forms of proteins namely tryptophan and Vitamin B5 which play the role of reducing stress in your hormones and we feel relaxed and composed. After being stressed and hectic, if you eat chicken items in your diet then you will be energetic for a longer period of time. If you remain energetic, then how can you avoid happiness and calmness? Surely, it is an excellent homemade option to live a stress-free life.
3. Healthy bones
The most important aspect of eating chicken is that in one way or the other it definitely gives some advantage. Chicken has various minerals like calcium and phosphorus which act as anchors for our bones and keep our bones in mint and firm till our old age. There are a lot of different diseases like arthritis which can be easily avoided through the intake of chicken flavors because it also has selenium in it.
4. Lessens PMS Symptoms
PMS problems are common in women. Women eat healthy foods to stay away from these bodily problems. What if we would say that consuming chicken lessens their problems to a large extent? Yes, the magnesium present in the chicken reduces the symptoms of PMS problems and helps in fighting the various mood swings of women during menstruation or periods.
5. Bolsters Immunity
In this covid era, immunity has a significant role to play. Of course, you would have known by now. More often than not, we tend to ignore the basic needs of our bodies. We do not know what our body wants. Sooner or later, we tend to consume immunity-boosting products from the market. So it’s better to eat homemade cooked chicken to avoid unnecessary problems in the future. Chicken soup is a great remedy for increasing immunity. Our immunity prevents inflammation during the common cold and other virals. Better to have healthy chicken with your loved ones.
6. Healthy Heart
There is an old cliche saying: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Well, in this hectic life, we try to eat all apples in a single day which might have adverse effects on our body and our heart. Being a rich source of Vitamin B6, chicken can be your best bet on improving heart health. It reduces cholesterol, homocysteine in our heart and makes it cool and healthy.
Hope you will take care of your health and soul and consume the chicken dishes to gain positive effects on your body.