Go Back

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Noodle Soup

Slow cooker Italian chicken noodle soup with a tomato-kissed, herby broth and tender egg noodles cooked at the end for perfect bite. Shredded chicken, zucchini-friendly greens (spinach), and cannellini beans make it hearty without drying out.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

chicken thighs
  • 1.5 lb chicken thighs boneless or bone-in
carrots
  • 4 carrots sliced
celery
  • 3 celery sliced
onion
  • 1 onion diced
garlic
  • 4 clove garlic minced
diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
cannellini beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans drained
chicken broth
  • 8 cup chicken broth
Italian seasoning
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried basil
red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
ditalini or egg noodles
  • 8 oz ditalini or egg noodles added last 30 min
fresh spinach
  • 2 cup fresh spinach added at end
parmesan
  • 0.25 cup parmesan for garnish
fresh basil
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil for garnish
salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Add ingredients to the slow cooker
  1. Place the chicken thighs, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, dried basil, and red pepper flakes into the slow cooker. Stir briefly so the seasonings distribute and the broth covers the chicken.
Cook the soup
  1. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours. The chicken should be fully cooked and tender when pressed with a fork.
  2. Remove the chicken, shred it, and return the shredded chicken to the pot. Make sure it’s evenly dispersed through the tomato broth.
Finish with noodles and spinach
  1. Add the ditalini or egg noodles and cook on High for 20-30 minutes until tender. Watch for the noodles to soften while the broth stays hot.
  2. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 5 minutes until wilted. The spinach should turn bright green and collapse into the soup.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Taste once more and adjust until the broth tastes balanced.
  2. Serve with parmesan and fresh basil on top. Add a final sprinkle right before serving for the best fresh aroma.

Notes

Pro tip: Add the noodles in the final 30 minutes on High so they don’t turn mushy after hours in the slow cooker. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; reheat gently. Freezing is not ideal for noodle texture—freeze only the chicken-and-broth base (no pasta/spinach) for up to 2 months, then cook fresh noodles and wilt spinach when reheating. For a lighter option, use reduced-sodium chicken broth and keep the parmesan as a smaller garnish.