Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is the ultimate comfort food for the soul, and particularly helpful if you’re not feeling up to snuff. This recipe by Cook Smarts makes it even easier—all you have to do is toss all the ingredients into a slow cooker and wait for the soup to cook. Serve with some cooked pasta, and you’re set for dinner.

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 medium celery stalks, diced
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs (like basil, parsley or Italian seasoning)
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup uncooked orecchiette (or pasta of choice)
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 8 tablespoons shaved or grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Place rotisserie chicken, garlic, onions, celery, carrots, dried herbs, bay leaves and chicken stock in a slow cooker. Cook on low for about 6 hours. (If not cooking in slow cooker, heat up a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add some cooking oil and then garlic, onions, celery and carrots to heated oil and saute for about 3 minutes. Add in dried herbs, bay leaves, stock and chicken. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 15 minutes.)

Cook pasta according to package instructions in a separate sauce pan.

When soup is done, fold cooked pasta into soup with salsa. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. If you have leftover basil from the week, you can slice and sprinkle over soup for even more flavor. Enjoy warm with Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 4 |  Serving Size: 1/4 of dish + 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Per serving: Calories: 323; Total Fat: 7g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 73mg; Sodium: 536mg; Carbohydrate: 28g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 33g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 701mg; Iron: 6%; Vitamin A: 117%; Vitamin C: 10%; Calcium: 20%

Energizing Tips (optional)

• To bump up calories and protein, add 1/2 of a simple grilled cheese made with 1 slice of whole wheat bread and 1 slice of cheese.  (Per serving: Calories: 414; Total Fat: 12g; Carbohydrate: 35g; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sugar: 5g; Protein: 38g)

Cook Smarts creates a range of educational cooking tools and information to empower and inspire home cooks. Visit their website for a range of free cooking resources, simple recipes, and delicious weekly meal plans. Follow their adventures in healthy cooking on Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram.

Photo courtesy of Cook Smarts. Original recipe published by Cook Smarts.

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