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Comforting, healthy, and nourishing - that’s what this crockpot chicken and noodle kale soup is! This chicken and kale soup is my go-to soup when I feel under the weather or want something cozy on a chilly winter evening. It is incredibly easy to make thanks to the crockpot! Give it a try and you’ll see how great of an addition kale is to your traditional chicken noodle soup.
Table of Contents
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup (Easy High Protein Recipe)
- Why you'll love this crock pot chicken soup recipe
- Simple ingredients you'll need
- How to make crockpot chicken noodle and kale soup
- Recipe tips
- Serving suggestion
- Meal prep & storage
- Substitutions, optional variations & dietary adjustments
- FAQ
- More homemade soups you'll love
- Crockpot Chicken and Noodle Kale Soup Recipe
Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup (Easy High Protein Recipe)
Friend, this soup is SO incredibly easy to make. It’s the kind of meal that you quickly throw into your crockpot in the morning to cook all day long.
At the end of the day you have a quick finishing touch and boom DINNER IS DONE!
In our house, we’ve been loving this soup since my oldest was just a little guy. Almost 12 years later we all still love!
And who doesn’t love chicken noodle soup?!
A key to making this the most nourishing soup is to use bone broth. If you’ve never made it at home, definitely try my crockpot bone broth recipe. It’s super simple and a staple to keep on hand, especially during the cooler months.
Another easy dinner I love making in the slow cooker is this paleo turkey chili, made with bone broth and tons of veggies.
Why you'll love this crock pot chicken soup recipe
High protein - With 38 grams of protein per serving, this soup keeps you full and satisfied. Protein-packed comfort food? Yes please!
Hands-off dinner - Toss everything into the crockpot in the morning, stir in the noodles at the end, and dinner is done. Boom dinner winner.
Hearty soup - This soup is perfectly filling and a complete meal. My husband loves all the chicken and flavor, while my kids are big fans of the egg noodles.
Extra good stuff - Adding more nutrition into meals is something I'm passionate about, and this one is no exception! You're getting protein from the chicken, fiber from loads of vegetables and leafy green kale, and extra goodness from the bone broth (a must during soup season!).
Simple ingredients you'll need
Here's what you'll need to make this healthy crockpot chicken noodle soup with kale. You'll find the full amounts and nutrition information in the recipe card below.
- Onion - Diced onion melts into the broth for that classic, savory chicken noodle soup flavor.
- Carrots - They add a little natural sweetness and lots of color.
- Celery stalks - Together with the onion and carrots, they make the classic soup trio.
- Garlic cloves - Fresh minced garlic gives the broth so much flavor.
- Curly kale - Remove the tough stems and chop the leaves. Baby kale or spinach work too!
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs - They stay tender and juicy all day in the crockpot. Chicken breast works too, if you prefer.
- Sea salt and black pepper - These season the chicken before it cooks. Taste at the end and add more if needed.
- Chicken bone broth - This is the key to the most nourishing soup! Use store-bought, or make my crockpot bone broth.
- Egg noodles - My kids' favorite part! They cook right in the crockpot, so there's no extra pot to wash.
How to make crockpot chicken noodle and kale soup
- Start by layering the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and kale in the bottom of your crockpot. Season the chicken thighs with sea salt and pepper, lay them right on top of the veggies, and pour the bone broth over everything. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Once the chicken is tender, turn the crockpot up to high. Shred the chicken right in the pot with two forks or kitchen tongs, or pull the thighs out and shred them on a cutting board. They'll fall apart so easily after cooking all day!
- Stir in the dry egg noodles, pop the lid back on, and let them cook for about 30 minutes until soft. Ladle into bowls and enjoy this cozy, flavorful soup!
Recipe tips
- Stick with chicken thighs - They stay tender and juicy over the long cook time and shred so easily.
- Add the noodles at the end - Stirring them in for the last 30 minutes keeps them from turning mushy.
- Taste before serving - Bone broth can vary a lot in saltiness, so add a pinch more sea salt and pepper at the end if it needs it.
- Like your kale with bite? - Stir it in with the noodles instead of layering it on the bottom.
- Keep extra broth on hand - The noodles soak up liquid as the soup sits, so a splash of broth brings leftovers right back to life.
Serving suggestion
I love pairing soup recipes with crusty bread like my no-knead artisan einkorn bread or soft and delicious no-knead whole wheat focaccia bread.
Adding a salad alongside is a great way to add even more vegetables into your mealtime. Try my kale crunch salad or strawberry kale salad - both are great to prep in advance!
Meal prep & storage
- Fridge - Once the soup has cooled to room temperature, store it in a large airtight container or individual containers for up to 4 days. Perfect for grab-and-go lunches!
- Freezer - Freeze the soup before adding the noodles for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, warm it on the stove, and cook fresh noodles right in the pot.
- Reheat - Warm over medium heat until heated through. The noodles soak up broth as the soup sits, so add a splash more chicken broth or bone broth if you'd like. Easy peasy!
Substitutions, optional variations & dietary adjustments
Below you’ll find a list of substitutions that will work well in this slow cooker chicken kale soup recipe.
Chicken thighs - Any shredded chicken will work in this recipe like using lean chicken breast or shredded rotisserie chicken if you have that on hand. You can also swap out the chicken to make a vegetarian option by using white beans like cannellini beans, navy beans, or great northern beans. Feel free to also add beans into your chicken noodle soup for extra fiber!
Vegetables - Carrots, onion, and celery are the classic trio of chicken noodle soup. That said, swap in and use what you have on hand! Cremini mushrooms or sweet potatoes will add new fun flavors to this soup.
Curly kale - Baby kale, spinach, or any other hearty green leafy vegetable will work here in place of curly kale.
Egg noodles - Any type of noodle will work for this soup. You could also swap in little gnocchis for a chicken and kale gnocchi soup!
If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!
FAQ
Yes! The raw chicken thighs go right on top of the veggies and cook low and slow for 6-8 hours until they're tender and easy to shred.
Nope! Stir the dry egg noodles right into the hot soup, switch the crockpot to high, and let them cook for about 30 minutes. One less pot to wash!
In this recipe, the kale goes in at the very beginning with the onion, carrots, and celery, so it gets soft and tender. If you like your kale with a little more bite, stir it in with the noodles at the end instead.
Yes! Chicken thighs stay extra juicy over the long cook time, but boneless skinless chicken breast works too. It's just a little leaner.
It sure is! With 38 grams of protein per serving from the chicken and bone broth, this is one filling bowl of soup.
Yes! The noodles get soft once they're frozen and thawed, so for the best texture, freeze the soup before adding the noodles. Then cook fresh noodles in it when you reheat.
More homemade soups you'll love
- Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Healing Chicken Turmeric Soup
- Creamy Cheddar Broccoli Bean Soup
- Creamy Black Bean Soup
If you try this crockpot chicken noodle soup recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!
XO
Heather
Crockpot Chicken and Noodle Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, (can sub in chicken breast)
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 6 cups chicken bone broth
- 9 oz egg noodles
Instructions
- Layer the crockpot. In the bottom of your crockpot, layer onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and kale. Season chicken thighs with sea salt and pepper then lay them on top. Pour chicken broth onto the rest of the ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Shred the chicken. After 6-8 hours, turn the crockpot heat to high. Using forks or kitchen tongs, lightly shred the chicken (you can remove the thighs as well and shred them outside the crockpot). This should be easy since they have cooked so long.
- Cook the noodles. Stir in the noodles, place the lid back on, and allow the noodles to cook and soften for about 30 minutes. Enjoy this healthy flavorful meal!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published in October 2013. Updated January 2024.
Everyone in the house enjoyed it...even my daughter who is very hard to please.:-) I put it in the slow cooker and then added the noodles about 1 hour before serving. Great flavor! Will for sure make this again.
I'm so happy to hear Arpita! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
I love soup with kale in it! I love that this is a crock pot recipe too!
Great photo of your little man!
The chicken noodle soup sounds great! Love the addition of kale. And the crockpot is my best friend!
Glad you guys had such a nice weekend! Ours was wonderful as well. Loving soup and chili right now. I will have to try your version. The kale is a great add in