Our family loves this Creamy Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup. It is the ultimate comforting winter soup. It is easy to make, but deliciously thick and creamy.
I think right about now would be a good time for comforting, warm you to the soul food, don’t you think? I love making soup because there is so much you can do with it. But I especially love how sitting around the table with my family and warm bowls of soup makes my heart happy.
This homemade crockpot chicken noodle soup is just that kind of soup. It is easy to make, the perfect recipe to come home to, and a delicious family dinner.
Made this tonight. I added a little extra pasta and it turned out fantastic! So thrilled 😁 The thick, creaminess of it is perfect. Even better if you let it sit for a bit to thicken. Printing and keeping for sure.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup in the Crockpot
This fuss free recipe is just a few steps and at the end becomes a creamy, comforting soup. If you would like to skip that, you could just add in a little more chicken stock and leave this as a regular slow cooker chicken noodle soup.
This is a brief overview of the recipe so you know what you are getting into. Make sure to follow the full instructions with the ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the bottom.
- Combine ingredients in the slow cooker: To start, we are cooking the vegetables and the chicken in chicken stock with some seasonings. Cook it on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
- Make the roux: At the end of that cooking time, combine butter and flour in a saucepan to make a roux and gradually add liquid from the crockpot. Add all of that to the crockpot.
- Add in the noodles: The penne cooks at the end for only 30 minutes.
- Shred the chicken: At the end of the cook time take out the chicken breasts and shred them. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
- Add the heavy cream: Finally, stir in some heavy cream. The heat from the soup will heat it up quickly.
Skip the Cream
Want a traditional chicken noodle soup? You can replace the heavy cream with one more cup of chicken stock and skip making the roux. You will be left with a delicious crockpot chicken noodle soup.
Making a Roux
The thing that really brings thickness to a soup is making a roux. A roux is the combination of a fat (in this case butter) and flour. There are a few keys that will help it turn out perfectly.
- Allow the butter to melt completely before whisking in the flour. The mixture will be very thick.
- Slowly stir in 1 to 2 cups of liquid from the slow cooker. Start by whisking in about 2 tablespoons at a time (no need to measure it) and then add more quickly towards the end. This should take you more than 30 seconds but definitely less than 2 minutes.
- It should be a nice, creamy, pourable liquid by the end. If it isn’t, add a little more stock.
Adding Uncooked Pasta to a Crockpot
Cooking pasta in the slow cooker is really simple. I’ve done it lots of times in different recipes and it works perfectly each time. Try it with any type of noodle you like, but make sure that you stir them in well, and cook them for 30 minutes on high.
Variations and Substitions
Another thing I like about soup is how easy it is to switch things out or change them.
- Add some onions: My family doesn’t like onions, but if yours does add a diced yellow onion.
- Switch up the spices: The other day someone told me that they were allergic to basil. Oregano and parsley are great alternatives for the spices listed here.
- Lighten it up: Instead of heavy cream you could use half & half (an American product made from half heavy cream and half whole milk).
- Use a different noodle: Egg noodles, elbow macaroni, or rotini are all great options in this soup recipe.
Make it on the Stovetop
If you forgot to make this soup this morning but still are craving this classic comforting dinner, no worries! You can follow this very similar stovetop version of Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup.
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers of this recipe can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Please note that the noodles will continue to absorb liquid as it is stored. It will still be delicious but not the same consistency as originally served.
When ready to eat leftovers, heat over low heat to keep the creamy consistency.
FAQ
Yes! Replace the noodle with gluten free noodles and swap the flour with almond flour. It makes a roux, though just slightly less creamy than the original.
This wouldn’t be my number one choice of soups to freeze because of the noodles. If you would like to freeze it, I would suggest leaving out the noodles and adding cooked noodles as you eat leftovers.
Nope! The noodles go in at the end uncooked and only cook for 30 minutes.
Nope! Add the chicken breasts raw and whole at the beginning. Pull them out at the end and shred them.
What to Serve with this Amazing Chicken Noodle Soup
I personally think that soup is the original one pot meal, and it would be fine to serve this on it’s own. But, we do often love some bread to go with it.
- Beer Bread: You can see my three ingredient beer bread pictured with this soup. It’s always a hit and so easy.
- Dinner Rolls: These great rolls would go with it as well.
- Arugula Salad: This salad recipe is so easy to make and would go great with this soup.
- Kale Salad: This is probably my favorite salad and would round this meal out perfectly.
If you make this Creamy Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know!
Creamy Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless skinless whole raw
- 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups dried penne noodles
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Combine the diced celery, carrots, whole chicken breasts, chicken stock, thyme, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours (if on high) or 6 hours (if on low), pull 2 cups of liquid from the slow cooker. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Slowly add the liquid from the crockpot. Start by adding about 2 tablespoons at a time (no need to measure) adding more once the liquid you just add is fully whisked in. The adding of liquid should take you more than 30 seconds, but less than 2 minutes.
- Add the roux to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Add in uncooked penne noodles and turn the slow cooker to high. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Turn off the slow cooker, remove the chicken breasts and shred them. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Stir in the heavy cream. Serve and enjoy.
Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says
My 8 year old daughter HEARS EVERYTHING! She is quick to tell me too when something is not appropriate! This soup looks positively yummy!
Alpha Carina says
Hi,Lisa!
I used to cook Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. Your recipe is different and you gave me another technique on how to cook this kind of soup. I love to try this one, I’m sure my family would love it. :-)
Thanks and God bless.
Thank you!
Jodi says
For the chicken breast does it matter if you use boneless or not?
You could definitely use bone in chicken breasts, just make sure that you get all the bones out when you shred them and put them back in. Full disclosure: I always use boneless.
Hailey says
Do you not cut up the chicken breast?
GAH! Some day I won’t be so sleep deprived that my recipes get simple type-os. Some day . . . you do shred the chicken at the very end. Off to fix it now. Thank you Hailey!
Terrie says
How many servings?
I would say six Terrie
Lindsey says
Could you cook it on low overnight? Trying to find something I can start in the evening and take to work the next morning.
So, if I were cooking it on low, I would only do about 6 hours. You might want to give it a try during the day and check it at 6 hours, 7 hours, 8 hours to see how long you can leave it before the chicken goes dry. Crock pots just vary so much. Sorry I can’t give you a more concrete answer!
Melissa says
Can you cook this on low for several hours?
Hi Melissa! Yup! If I were going to, I would do low for 6 hours :)
Marie says
Can I use frozen uncooked chicken breasts?
Hi Marie! You can, but I personally wouldn’t. It will lengthen the cooking time significantly and I’m not sure what that will do to all the other ingredients.
Ashlee says
If I chose to frozen chicken breast how long do you suggest I cook it for?
Hi Ashlee! I can’t say for sure how long you would need to cook it since I haven’t done it, additionally, I don’t know what it would do to the veggies to be cooked that long. I would suggest that you not use frozen chicken breasts, or you could always do a search for a different chicken soup recipe that uses frozen chicken to see how long they cooked it for.
amanda june says
um this recipe though!!! I hardly ever comment on blog recipes, but I came across this (pinterest I guess? don’t even remember) and just made it. So great for so little fuss! My husband’s got a bad cold so I feel like a good wife making chicken noodle soup, haha. I couldn’t find mini penne so I just used a smallish ridgeless penne and it was perfect. (I also added extra garlic, because always.) My crock pot runs hot and it was done from start to finish in less than 3 hours. Delicious!!!
I’m wondering, I think my crock pot’s plenty big to double the recipe…think that would work okay? Just add some time?
Off to browse your site for more recipes, you’ve definitely won my trust with this one ;)
This was the nicest comment I have gotten in a long time. Thank you!!