Easy Slow Cooker Busy Night Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Winter has proven to be just as busy as summer this year. I feel like we are having one busy weeknight after another, which means a busy night chicken noodle soup is a must!

I love a meal where you can make it up in less then 10 minutes in the morning and you have a delicious healthy meal that evening.

When the days are long and the nights are busy, having a quick dinner recipe in your tool belt is so helpful. 

This busy night chicken noodle soup is the perfect solution and a go-to recipe.

The reason I love this homemade chicken noodle soup so much, is because it uses simple easy ingredients, but really packs a punch with flavor.

Using homemade chicken broth and different herbs and spices really make up the powerful flavor in this soup.

Can this recipe be made gluten free?

As always, all my recipes can be made gluten free, since that is how we have to eat. 

The only thing that you would do differently would be the type of noodles you add to your busy night chicken noodle soup.

I will say the brand of pasta you choose to use, if using gluten free, does make a difference. Not all gluten free pasta are the same in taste and texture. I love to use my homemade gluten free pasta recipe as well, but to make this simple recipe even quicker, for those busy nights, using store bought works great. 

There are two brands I recommend and they are the only brands I use. Whenever I am making a pasta dish, I use only gluten free noodles and no one can tell the difference. 

I typically buy the Jovial Foods brand in all their cuts on Azure Standard. I buy them by the case so I don’t have to buy often and they are delicious. If ever I am making macaroni salad or a pasta dish for a crowd, I’ll use Jovial foods gluten free pasta and no one can tell the difference. 

​I have started to see Walmart and other grocery stores carry the Jovial Foods brand as well. 

The other brand I like, which you can almost find at any grocery store in the pasta aisle, is the Barilla brand. This is another good brand of gluten free pasta that you can feed to a crowd and everyone will enjoy and may not even realize they are eating gluten free.

Now let’s get to the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/4 black pepper
• 2 cans of chicken broth, I use pint jars of homemade bone broth
• 4 cups of water
• 12oz pasta of choice

How to make busy night chicken noodle soup:

1. In the bottom of your crockpot or slow cooker, place the thawed chicken breasts. You can also use frozen if you are pinched for time. 
2. Slice up all your fresh vegetables and add them on top of your chicken. 
3. Add in the spices, chicken stock, and the water.
4. Cover your crockpot and turn it onto high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. 
5. A half hour before ready to serve, take 2 forks and shred your chicken right in the crockpot. 
6. If using regular noodles, you can add them right to the crockpot with your shredded chicken and place the lid back on. Let them cook in the juices in the crockpot until all the way tender. Serve immediately.
7. If using gluten free pasta, it is best to cook the pasta on the stove according to the package directions. Then drain them and add the cooked noodles to the crockpot. This will help your gluten free noodles not to become mushy and lose their shape. 
8. Serve your classic chicken noodle soup hot with a side of gluten free sourdough dinner rolls or grilled cheese.

​Helpful Tips When Cooking Gluten Free Pasta:

There are a few helpful tips to making sure your noodles stay in tact and don’t get soggy. Gluten free pasta can be very delicious but also tricky.

1. ​Make sure to cook your pasta in water first before adding to the soup. This is the best way to keep your pasta in it’s right shape.
2. Make sure your water is boiling before putting your pasta in and always stand there and stir your pasta frequently for the first minute or so. Gluten free pasta is known for sticking together. Once they stick together, it is next to impossible to get them apart and you will have a ball of hard pasta. Not fun!
3. Drain your pasta completely and run cool water over it. By doing this you’re stopping the cooking process. That way when you add it to the soup it won’t over cook.

​With these helpful tips you are ready to make this easy chicken noodle soup recipe, gluten free!

Does this soup make good leftover?

I love having plenty of leftovers when I make a meal. It just makes life simpler when I can pull out leftovers for lunch, rather then re-creating another meal. 

As I have mentioned before, when making this gluten free it can be tricky because of the pasta. If you are making it with regular noodles, it will store just fine in the fridge in an airtight container for about a week. Simply re-heat when ready to eat and you are good to go!

But with the gluten free pasta it is not that simple. 

The best way to keep leftover soup, is to get it out of the hot liquid as soon as possible. 

That means as soon as you know no one wants more during dinner, get it out of the crockpot, into an airtight container, and into the fridge.

This will ensure that your pasta stops cooking and won’t get all mushy. The longer it sits in the hot liquid, the more likely it will become mush. 

When I made this soup last week, I took it out of the crockpot immediately and put it in the fridge after everyone was done. The noodles held their shape beautifully and I was able to re-heat it the next day for lunch. 

Gluten free cooking can be tricky, but once you know the tricks to it you are well on your way to making delicious gluten free meals all the time!

Ladle up a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup on a cold night and sit by the fire while you enjoy a delicious meal that took you hardly any time to make.