This is the best chicken noodle soup ever. Yes, ever. I’ve been having this for my birthday dinner ever since my mom discovered the recipe. It makes the house smell so good all day long, too, as it cooks in the crockpot… perfect for a chilly day. It’s hearty and thick, so it’s easily a meal in and of itself when paired with a crusty, warm bread. Our girls also love to scoop it with saltines. Even the baby can enjoy this one.

THIS SOUP IS PERFECT FOR BABIES STARTING TO EAT TABLE FOODS

For anyone out there with a baby who is beginning to be a self-feeder/crawling age, this soup is great! He/She can pick up the soft peas, carrots, and noodles and eat this even without teeth. You could also grind some of it up with a hand-mixer or even mash it by hand and spoon-feed your little one. This soup has always been my go-to when my girls have been transitioning into eating “people food”…

This is a meal you make in the slow cooker, but it does take a little chopping beforehand. If you’re really organized, you can have everything ready to go the night before, and then you simply need to plug in the crockpot before you head out the door. Later that night when you get home, you’ll have to add the noodles, and then it will be ready about one hour later.

I have two crockpots, and I often have them both going at the same time. I always double this recipe because I can freeze all the extras, and then I have dinner made for another night or two… just thaw and reheat!

Give it a try. I bet it will be a hit!  :)

When the chicken is cooked (after 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low), you will lift it out and then shred it. It’s hard to get the entire chicken out because it falls apart. I usually do my best to lift it out with two slotted spoons or spatulas and then I “comb” the crockpot with a slotted spoon to find all the loose pieces and bones that may have broken off.

I use two forks to shred the chicken. After shredding the chicken, you will return it to the slow cooker. You will also add the noodles at this point.

You can use any noodles that you like, but the ones shown below are by far the best in my opinion. Any wide noodle will taste good the first time around, but if you plan to freeze the extras, the Alberto’s brand holds up perfectly in the freezer. Other noodles almost seem to disintegrate if you freeze and reheat–it can come out a bit mushy. But if you use the noodles pictured below, it will taste just as good the second time around!

* I’m not sure if you’ll be able to find these noodles, however. :( The only place down south I could find them was Target, but then they stopped carrying them.  Now my mom actually brings me a few bags when she comes to visit. I might have to talk to someone at our nearby Target and see if I can get them to stock these again, come to think of it!  :)

Once you put the chicken back into the crockpot, you will then add the noodles and turn the temperature up to high for one hour. Don’t be tempted to add more noodles than the recipe calls for. It might not look like much, but if you add too many noodles, they will absorb too much of the liquid. (speaking from experience here…)

***Get a printable version of the recipe here: best-ever-crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup-by-harvard-homemaker

2 onions, chopped (or 1 large)

2-3 carrots, sliced (if you’re in a hurry, you can dump in a bag of mini carrots)

2-3 stalks celery, chopped

2 t. salt

1/2 t. basil

1/4 t. thyme

3 T. dry parsley flakes

1 10 oz. package of frozen peas

1 fryer chicken (about 3 lbs or so) or bone-in chicken breasts with the skin on (I often do this since we prefer white meat. Trim visible fat, remove insides, and rinse with water.

4 c. water + 1 chicken bouillon cube  (Sometimes I add an extra cup of water if the chicken is on the larger side.)

1 c. wide noodles

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker except the noodles. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-6 hours. (If you have the time, I think it comes out better on low.) One hour before serving, remove chicken carefully from the crockpot (it may fall apart, so just do your best). Shred the meat from the bones, and return the chicken to the crockpot.  Add the noodles and cook on high for one more hour.

Serve with crusty, warm bread.  Freezes well, especially with the Alberto’s noodles as described in this post.  Hope you like it!

And there you have it.  A bowl of the best chicken noodle soup ever!  Yes, ever. :)

Please let me know if this lives up to the hype!

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