This healthy slow cooker chicken vegetable soup is a true lifesaver for busy weeknights, offering a comforting and wholesome meal with minimal effort.
It’s packed with tender chicken and a colorful array of vegetables, making it a nutritious choice the whole family will love. This crockpot recipe truly makes dinner a breeze, allowing you to set it and forget it until mealtime.
Discover how simple it is to create this delicious and satisfying soup that’s perfect for any day of the week. Whether you’re looking for a hearty dinner after a long day or a cozy meal to warm you up, this family-friendly recipe delivers on flavor and convenience.
Table of Contents
- What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
- Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
- Time Needed From Start To Finish
- How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
- Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
- Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
- How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture
Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes to 8 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Description
This healthy slow cooker chicken vegetable soup is a true lifesaver for busy weeknights, offering a comforting and wholesome meal with minimal effort. It’s packed with tender chicken and a colorful array of vegetables, making it a nutritious choice the whole family will love. This crockpot recipe truly makes dinner a breeze, allowing you to set it and forget it until mealtime.
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Prepare the Chicken and Vegetables: Start by placing the boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs at the bottom of your slow cooker. Evenly distribute the chopped yellow onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery over the chicken.
2. Add the Frozen Vegetables and Tomatoes: Next, add the frozen corn, frozen green beans, and the can of diced tomatoes (including their liquid) into the slow cooker, spreading them over the fresh vegetables.
3. Pour in the Broth and Seasonings: Carefully pour the low-sodium chicken broth over all the ingredients. Sprinkle in the dried Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir gently to combine the seasonings with the broth and vegetables, ensuring everything is well distributed.
4. Set and Cook: Cover your slow cooker with its lid. Cook on the “low” setting for 6-8 hours, or on the “high” setting for 4-6 hours. The soup is ready when the chicken is cooked through and easily shreds, and the vegetables are tender.
5. Shred the Chicken: Once the cooking time is complete, carefully remove the cooked chicken breasts or thighs from the slow cooker. Place them on a cutting board and use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
6. Return Chicken and Adjust Seasoning: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir it into the soup. Taste the soup and add salt as needed, starting with a quarter teaspoon and adding more until it reaches your desired flavor.
7. Serve Warm: Ladle the hot soup into bowls. If desired, garnish each serving with fresh chopped parsley for a touch of color and freshness. Serve immediately and enjoy your wholesome meal.
- Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-8 hours
- Category: main dish
- Method: slow cooker
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
Keywords: chicken soup, vegetable soup, slow cooker, crockpot, healthy, easy, comfort food, weeknight meal, family friendly, meal prep
What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
This recipe is a dream come true for anyone seeking a healthy, hands-off dinner solution. It’s perfect for busy parents, individuals with demanding schedules, or anyone who appreciates the magic of a slow cooker. You’ll love that it requires very little active cooking time, freeing you up to tackle other tasks or simply relax. The slow cooking process tenderizes the chicken beautifully and allows the flavors of the vegetables and broth to meld together perfectly, creating a deeply satisfying soup. It’s an ideal meal for chilly evenings, a comforting option when someone in the family needs a boost, or a smart choice for meal prepping healthy lunches throughout the week. This soup is designed to be family-friendly, meaning even picky eaters will likely find something to enjoy, especially with the comforting flavors and familiar ingredients.
Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
Gathering your ingredients for this soup is straightforward, focusing on fresh produce and pantry staples. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity and the readily available nature of its components. You won’t need any exotic items, just good, wholesome food that comes together effortlessly in your slow cooker.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen green beans
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)
For simple substitutions, you can easily swap out some of the vegetables based on what you have on hand or what your family prefers. For example, a cup of frozen peas or chopped zucchini would work well in place of corn or green beans. If you prefer a bit of a kick, a pinch of red pepper flakes can be added. Using store-bought rotisserie chicken, shredded, is also a fantastic shortcut; simply add it during the last 30-60 minutes of cooking to prevent it from becoming overcooked. Low-sodium broth is recommended to control the salt content, but regular broth can be used; just be mindful of adding additional salt later.
Time Needed From Start To Finish
This slow cooker recipe is a champion of hands-off cooking, making it ideal for busy days.
Prep time: 15-20 minutes Cook time: 4-6 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low Total time: 4 hours 15 minutes to 8 hours 20 minutes (depending on slow cooker setting)
The majority of the time is spent in the slow cooker, allowing you to focus on other things while your delicious and healthy soup simmers to perfection. The minimal prep involves chopping vegetables and seasoning the chicken, which can even be done the night before to save time on the cooking day.
How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
Creating this comforting chicken vegetable soup in your slow cooker is incredibly simple. Follow these steps for a perfect meal every time.
- Prepare the Chicken and Vegetables: Start by placing the boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs at the bottom of your slow cooker. Evenly distribute the chopped yellow onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery over the chicken.
- Add the Frozen Vegetables and Tomatoes: Next, add the frozen corn, frozen green beans, and the can of diced tomatoes (including their liquid) into the slow cooker, spreading them over the fresh vegetables.
- Pour in the Broth and Seasonings: Carefully pour the low-sodium chicken broth over all the ingredients. Sprinkle in the dried Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir gently to combine the seasonings with the broth and vegetables, ensuring everything is well distributed.
- Set and Cook: Cover your slow cooker with its lid. Cook on the “low” setting for 6-8 hours, or on the “high” setting for 4-6 hours. The soup is ready when the chicken is cooked through and easily shreds, and the vegetables are tender.
- Shred the Chicken: Once the cooking time is complete, carefully remove the cooked chicken breasts or thighs from the slow cooker. Place them on a cutting board and use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Return Chicken and Adjust Seasoning: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir it into the soup. Taste the soup and add salt as needed, starting with a quarter teaspoon and adding more until it reaches your desired flavor.
- Serve Warm: Ladle the hot soup into bowls. If desired, garnish each serving with fresh chopped parsley for a touch of color and freshness. Serve immediately and enjoy your wholesome meal.
Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
This healthy slow cooker chicken vegetable soup is wonderfully versatile and can be adapted to suit various tastes and occasions. For a kid-friendly twist, you can add small pasta shapes like ditalini or elbow macaroni during the last 30 minutes of cooking, ensuring it’s cooked al dente. Another option for kids is to serve it with a side of crusty bread or crackers for dipping, making it more interactive and fun.
Consider adding a different flavor profile by incorporating a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end for brightness, or a dash of smoked paprika for a deeper, earthier taste. You can also swap out some of the vegetables; diced potatoes or sweet potatoes can add a heartier texture, while a handful of spinach or kale stirred in during the last 15 minutes will wilt beautifully and boost the nutritional content.
For serving, this soup is fantastic on its own, but it also pairs wonderfully with a variety of accompaniments. A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette makes for a complete and balanced meal. Crusty bread, warm dinner rolls, or even homemade cornbread are perfect for soaking up the delicious broth. For a buffet-style serving, set out a few optional toppings like grated Parmesan cheese, a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, or extra fresh herbs, allowing everyone to customize their bowl.
Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
Even with a simple slow cooker recipe, there are a few common mistakes that can impact the final result. Being aware of them will help you achieve perfect soup every time.
One frequent slip-up is overcooking the chicken. While slow cookers are forgiving, chicken breasts, especially, can become dry and stringy if cooked for too long, particularly on the high setting. To avoid this, stick to the recommended cooking times and check for doneness by shredding a piece with a fork. If using chicken thighs, they are more forgiving and remain moist even with longer cooking. If using pre-cooked chicken, add it only for the last 30-60 minutes to warm through.
Another common issue is under-seasoning the soup. Because slow cooking allows flavors to meld over a long period, it’s easy to add too little salt or herbs at the beginning. It’s always best to start with the recommended amount and then taste and adjust the seasoning at the end, after the chicken has been shredded and returned to the pot. This allows you to account for any saltiness from the broth and ensure the flavors are perfectly balanced.
Adding all vegetables at the very beginning can sometimes lead to very soft, mushy vegetables, especially if you’re cooking on the high setting for an extended period. While root vegetables like carrots and celery hold up well, more delicate vegetables like frozen peas or spinach are best added towards the end of the cooking cycle (the last 30-60 minutes) to retain some of their texture and vibrant color. For this recipe, the specified vegetables are robust enough to withstand the full cooking time.
Finally, lifting the lid too frequently can significantly extend the cooking time. Every time you peek into the slow cooker, you release trapped heat, which can add 15-20 minutes to the overall cooking duration. Resist the urge to check on it constantly; trust your slow cooker to do its job until the recommended time has passed.
How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture
This healthy slow cooker chicken vegetable soup is excellent for meal prep and stores beautifully, often tasting even better the next day as the flavors continue to deepen.
To store any leftover soup, allow it to cool completely at room temperature for no more than two hours. Once cooled, transfer the soup to airtight containers. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, this
FAQs
- Can I make these ahead? Yes—prep ahead, refrigerate, then serve when ready.
- How long do leftovers last? Store covered in the fridge for 3–4 days for best texture.
- Can I adjust sweetness? Yes—add more or less sweetener to taste.
- Can I change the fruit? Yes—swap strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, or sliced banana.
