Loading…

When the lid comes off the slow cooker, the carrots should be tender and the broth fragrant with garlic and Italian seasoning, but the noodles still aren’t in the pot. That separation keeps this slow cooker Italian chicken noodle soup from turning thick and starchy while it waits to be served. I cook the chicken right in the vegetables and broth, then take it out while the noodles boil on the stove.

Cooking the noodles separately gives you a little more control over the finished soup. Egg noodles keep absorbing broth after they’re cooked, especially when they sit in a warm slow cooker. Boil them just until tender, drain them, and stir them in with the shredded chicken at the end. You get a full bowl of tender chicken, vegetables, and noodles in a savory tomato broth.

This is the kind of soup that feels generous without asking you to stand over the stove all afternoon. The slow cooker handles the chicken and vegetables; a saucepan takes care of the noodles, and parsley and Parmesan finish each bowl with a fresh, salty lift.

Why the Noodles Boil Separately Instead of in the Slow Cooker

Egg noodles keep taking in liquid as they sit. If they cook in the slow cooker for hours, they can swell past tender and leave the broth cloudy and thick. That’s not a problem with the chicken or vegetables; it’s simply what pasta does when it stays in hot liquid.

Boiling the noodles in salted water gives them their own cooking time, separate from the long, gentle cook for the chicken. You can drain them as soon as they’re just tender, then add them only after the chicken is shredded. The broth stays more like soup, and the noodles don’t spend the entire slow-cooking window softening.

This also makes the timing easier to manage. The chicken can finish cooking on LOW or HIGH while the noodles wait until the last few minutes. If dinner is delayed, you’ll have more control over the texture than you would with noodles sitting in the cooker.

What the Tomatoes, Broth, and Egg Noodles Bring to the Pot

• Chicken breasts — Boneless, skinless breasts shred into tender pieces without adding much fat to the broth. Start with them thawed so they cook on the schedule given below.
• Low-sodium chicken broth — This gives the soup a savory base while leaving room for the kosher salt and Parmesan to season it. A familiar grocery-store carton works well; there’s no need for specialty stock.
• Diced tomatoes — Leave the tomatoes undrained. Their juice becomes part of the broth, while the tomato pieces add a gentle tang that keeps the soup from tasting flat.
• Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic — These everyday aromatics soften as the soup cooks and give the broth its rounded, familiar flavor. Cut the carrots and celery into slices of similar thickness so they soften at about the same pace.
• Italian seasoning — The dried herb blend can flavor the broth over the long cook without needing fresh herbs added early. There’s no need to buy an expensive brand for this pot.
• Wide egg noodles — Their broad shape makes a hearty spoonful and holds up better than delicate, thin noodles. Use the package directions to judge when they’re just tender.
• Fresh parsley and Parmesan — Parsley gives the finished bowl a clean, herbal lift, while grated Parmesan adds a salty, savory finish. The cheese’s quality is most noticeable at the table, so freshly grated Parmesan is a nice upgrade if you have it.

Build the Soup in the Slow Cooker, Then Finish It on the Stove

Layer the Vegetables and Chicken

Add the diced onion, sliced carrots and celery, minced garlic, undrained tomatoes, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper, and bay leaf to a 6-quart slow cooker. Nestle the thawed chicken breasts into the vegetables, then pour in the low-sodium chicken broth. Keeping the chicken nestled among the vegetables lets it cook in the broth rather than sit on top of a dry layer.

Let the Chicken Cook Until Tender

Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. The chicken should reach 165°F, and the vegetables should be tender when pierced. If the carrots are still firm, give the soup more time rather than pulling the chicken before it reaches the right temperature. Once it’s ready, transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the bay leaf.

Boil the Noodles While the Chicken Rests

Bring 2 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon kosher salt to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan. Add the wide egg noodles and cook according to the package directions, stopping when they’re just tender. Drain them well so extra cooking water doesn’t thin the broth. This separate saucepan is what lets you control the noodles instead of leaving them to soften in the slow cooker.

Shred the Chicken and Finish the Bowls

While the chicken rests, shred it with two forks, pulling the meat into bite-size strands. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker, then stir in the drained noodles. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan. The noodles should be tender, not falling apart, and the chicken should be easy to scoop up with a spoon.

Two Simple Changes for a Different Bowl

Questions That Come Up While This Soup Cooks

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Noodle Soup

Slow cooker Italian chicken noodle soup combines tender shredded chicken, vegetables, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning in a savory broth. Egg noodles are cooked separately and stirred in just before serving for a hearty soup with noodles that stay tender.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 350

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the soup

• 1 yellow onion medium, diced
• 3 carrots medium, peeled and sliced
• 3 ribs celery sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes undrained
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt
• 0.25 tsp black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1.5 lb chicken breasts boneless, skinless, thawed
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

For the noodles

• 2 qt water
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 8 oz wide egg noodles

For serving

• 0.25 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese grated

Equipment

• 1 6-quart slow cooker

Method

 

Build and slow-cook the soup

1. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, pepper, and bay leaf to a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Nestle the thawed chicken breasts into the vegetables and pour in the chicken broth.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F and the vegetables are tender.

Cook the noodles and finish

1. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
2. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
3. While the chicken rests, bring the water and 1 tablespoon kosher salt to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan.
4. Add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions until just tender.
5. Drain the noodles.
6. Shred the chicken with two forks.
7. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
8. Stir in the drained noodles.

Serve the soup

1. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with parsley and Parmesan.

Notes

For tender noodles, cook them separately and stir them in just before serving. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days; freeze without the noodles for up to 3 months. For dairy-free servings, omit the Parmesan.