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.
Karla Fortner says
May I use frozen chicken breasts in this recipe?
Yes! You’ll need to add 2 hours to the cooking time on low.
Taylor says
Wow! So good!
I used rotisserie chicken (just because it’s what I had on hand). Also only had milk, not heavy cream, but the soup still came out creamy and delicious!
Dawn says
I added onion in a cheese cloth while it was cooking and it added a great flavor to it
Joanna Baker says
I’m alittle confused with the instructions. If I do the 6 hours on low, after the 3 hours and then making the cream broth, do I put it back on low for 3 more hours?
You are right, that was confusing. I updated it and hopefully it is more clear. Basically if you cook on low for 6 hours, after that time you are making the roux, adding the noodles, and you have 30 more minutes on high.
megan says
I am wondering when to ad din the heavy cream
At the end of step four.
Tracy says
Next time I will leave out the roux part. It was way too thick and tasted like flour.
Hi Tracy! I’m so sorry that was your experience with this recipe. I haven’t gotten the feedback of it being too thick before. For the flour taste, it’s really important that the butter and flour are fully incorporated before you start adding liquid. Typically that’s where a flour taste comes from.
Debra says
What about in a instant pot
I’m sorry, I haven’t developed this recipe for the instant pot. But you might like this: Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.
Erin says
Made this and it was delicious! If I halve the recipe, do I shorten the time?
Yeah, I would cut a little time off of it (maybe an hour), you might have to play with it to get the timing just right.
Molly says
Could I remove the chicken while the noodles are cooking?
You could, but you don’t need to.
Tammy says
Do you have to remove the chicken I boil then add with the vegetables
I’m not totally sure what you are asking. The chicken and the vegetables cook together in this and then you only pull out the chicken so that you can shred it or cut it up and return it to the pot.