This slow cooker chicken soup with vermicelli is made with real homemade broth, and you don't have to stand over a pot for a single minute of it! Skip the carton and the bouillon cube: a couple of bone-in chicken legs, leeks, carrots, and a blade of mace simmer away for four and a half hours while you get on with your day.
What comes out is a broth so full of flavor you'll want to sip it straight from the ladle. Then the vegetables you held back go in for the last hour, so every spoonful has tender chicken next to carrots that still have bite. It's clear, cozy, and very hard to stop at one bowl!
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Why make this?
I have a soft spot for soup. Creamy or clear, with chicken, meatballs, or just vegetables, I'm always happy to have a bowl, usually for lunch. We eat soup about five times a week, and I freeze any leftovers for another day.
I'm particular about the broth, though. The soups I look forward to start with homemade broth made with bone-in chicken or stewing beef, always with fresh vegetables and herbs. But that means keeping a pot on the stove for hours and checking on it along the way. I don't have that kind of time during the week anymore.
So I let the slow cooker handle the waiting. The chicken flavors the broth while I get on with other things. Then I finish the soup in the same pot, which saves me some dishes, too.
Ingrediënts You'll Need
- Ginger gives the broth a gentle, peppery warmth.
- Mace has a warm, spicy flavor similar to nutmeg. Both the ginger and mace cook in the broth and are strained out later.
- Chicken leg quarters or drumsticks should have their bones and skin. They flavor the broth, and the cooked meat goes back into the soup.
- Vermicelli goes in at the end so it doesn't turn mushy. Switch the slow cooker to HIGH and start checking the noodles after 10 minutes.
How to Make It
- Step 1: Set aside one-third of the leeks, carrots, and celery. Add the remaining vegetables to the slow cooker with the chicken, seasonings, and water. Cook on LOW for 4½ to 5 hours, until the meat comes away from the bones easily.
- Step 2: Remove the chicken, softened vegetables, and herbs. Strain the broth.
- Step 3: Return the broth to the slow cooker. Add the reserved vegetables, chicken meat, and salt. Cook on LOW for another 45 to 60 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but still have a little bite.
- Step 4: Stir in the vermicelli. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir after 5 minutes and check the noodles regularly for doneness. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the parsley just before serving.
Andrea's Tips
- Chop all the vegetables at once. Cover and refrigerate the third of the leeks, carrots, and celery you're saving for later. When you need them, you can tip them straight into the slow cooker.
- Taste before adding extra salt. Stir the salt listed in the recipe into the broth, then adjust the seasoning once the soup has finished cooking.
- Skim off the fat. If you see a layer of fat on the broth, skim it off with a spoon. You can also let the broth cool so the fat solidifies on top, making it easier to lift off.
What to Serve with Chicken Soup
I like to put bread on the table with a bowl of chicken soup: a homemade baguette with homemade garlic butter, or a plate of Parmesan puff pastry sticks to eat alongside it.
Prefer to use the stove? My old-fashioned chicken soup with fresh vegetables is ready in a little over two hours. For more soups to make on busy days, browse my slow cooker soup recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breasts instead of legs? You can, but breasts dry out more easily in the slow cooker, and without bones and skin the broth has less flavor. For this soup, stick with bone-in, skin-on leg quarters or drumsticks.
Which herbs go in the herb bundle? Use mostly parsley with a little thyme. A ready-made bundle of fresh soup herbs works, too. If it contains a lot of rosemary, leave some out, as its flavor can quickly overpower the broth.
Can I make slow cooker chicken soup ahead of time? Yes, but leave out the vermicelli when storing the soup, as the noodles will keep softening. Reheat the soup in a pot on the stove, then add the vermicelli and cook according to the package directions.
How long does slow cooker chicken soup keep? Up to 2 days in the fridge at 40°F (4°C), or up to 3 months in the freezer. Cool it in small portions and refrigerate within 2 hours. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in a pot until steaming hot. The vegetables will be softer after freezing.
What size slow cooker do I need? This recipe is made in an 3.5 qz (3.5 liter) slowcooker.
And as my grandma always said:
Eat well, never too much. The only 'too much' that's allowed is being too happy at the table.
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Ingredients
- 11 ounces leeks, weighed after trimming, washed thoroughly and sliced into rings
- 11 ounces carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (½-cm) slices
- 9 ounces celery, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ pound chicken leg quarters, or drumsticks, bone-in, skin-on
- 2 onions, cut into wedges
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- ½ ounce fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
- ½ ounce fresh herbs, such as parsley and thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 pieces mace
- 5½ cups water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 ounces fine vermicelli pasta
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Set aside one-third of the leeks, carrots, and celery. Cover and refrigerate.11 ounces leeks, 11 ounces carrots, 9 ounces celery
- Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the onions, remaining vegetables, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, fresh herbs, bay leaves, and mace.1 ½ pound chicken leg quarters, 2 onions, 2 cloves garlic, ½ ounce fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, ½ ounce fresh herbs, 2 bay leaves, 2 pieces mace
- Pour in the water.5½ cups water
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4½ to 5 hours. The chicken meat should come away from the bones easily.
- Carefully lift the chicken out of the slow cooker and place it on a rimmed plate. Set a strainer over a large pot or heatproof bowl and pour the broth through it. Discard the cooked vegetables and herbs. Return the strained broth to the slow cooker.
- Add the reserved vegetables and 2 teaspoons salt.2 teaspoons salt
- Remove the skin and bones from the chicken. Use two forks to pull the meat into coarse pieces. Check carefully for small bones, then return the meat to the slow cooker and cover.
- Cook on LOW for another 45 to 60 minutes. Taste a slice of carrot: it should be cooked through but still have a little bite. If needed, cook the vegetables longer before adding the vermicelli.2 ounces fine vermicelli pasta
- Switch the slow cooker to HIGH. Break the vermicelli into shorter pieces if needed, then stir it into the hot soup. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir after 5 minutes and start checking for doneness after 10 minutes.
- Taste the soup and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the chopped parsley just before serving.salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley
Notes
Nutrition
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