Sometimes you just want soup. And with the frigid weather we’ve been having lately, that is exactly what I wanted… soup! Chicken soup to be exact. It’s my favorite variety. I’m pretty sure now matter my age, I’ll always reach for chicken soup before any other kind. There’s just something special and simple about it. It’s easy and delicious. I love easy recipes, which is partly why I truly enjoy using a slow cooker. Toss in the ingredients, turn it on and let it sit for hours. It’s torture but a wonderful kind of torture.
If you’ve never made chicken soup from scratch before, you absolutely need to try this sometime soon. Grab a chicken and get to work! I promise, it requires minimal effort and will give you delicious results.
I loaded my bowl up with extra chicken and veggies. What’s better than homemade soup… besides a cupcake? 
Yields approximately 4-6 servings.
Ingredients:
1, 4-5lb chicken, giblets removed
1 bay leaf
1 1/2C celery
1 1/2C carrots
1C onion
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp dried minced garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp garlic powder
6C liquid (I used chicken broth but a mixture of broth and liquid is fine too).
Prepare chicken; remove the giblets, rinse the inside and outside of the chicken well. Place chicken in a size appropriate slow cooker (mine is 6 quarts).
Chop celery, carrots and onion. Add to slow cooker. Sprinkle with spices. Cover with at least 6 cups liquid (some sort of broth or broth and liquid mixture – your choice).
Cook on high for 4 hours. Carefully remove chicken to a carving board or rimmed baking sheet. While the chicken is removed from the slow cooker, scoop out the bay leaf and discard. Remove skin from chicken. Begin slicing off meat, shredding and returning to the slow cooker. Pull off as much meat as you can, using only white meat or both white and dark.
Stir ingredients. Divide among bowls.
I chose to have a taste of this and freeze the rest in several containers for later. The Mr is out of town and will love having homemade soup to enjoy for work when he returns.
this is a great winter soup! i love how much it makes and since it makes so much, you can deliver it to a sick friend too
the amount of veggies you put in yours seems like a perfect amount. I hate when I get chicken noodle soup and it gives you a pea-size amount of veggies/noodles and a ton of broth..so unsatisfying!
Oh yes this is perfect for a cold day. Yum!
…What? No noodles? I love this recipe but one. must. have. noodles.
)
…Thank you for sharing!
…Peace & Blessings
LOVE everything about this. Chicken soup is the comfort food of all comfort foods for me!
Beautiful! With my crazy life anytime I can use my crockpot I do.
the slow cooker and soup are two of the things that make winter bearable for me!!
This looks so hearty and delicious. I love homemade soup on a cold day!
This looks perfect! I love that there really is minimal work before the slow cooker.
My husband would love this! Perfect for snowy days!
this looks divine. is there anything better than homemade chicken soup? i think not! will definitely have to give this recipe a try!
Yum! Just cooked a chicken soup but yours looks amazing! Can I have some!
This looks outstanding! We love soup in our house. 2 kids in my houe are sick and are actually making soup today as well
You had me at “slow cooker” – love the simplicity of the recipe! We finally got some snow this weekend so I’m definitely craving comfort food like this!
My slow cooker has been busy and this is a great recipe to try with it. Perfect for a chilly day.
This looks perfect! Nothing better than having a big bowl of chicken soup on a cold night!