This crockpot chicken soup uses a whole chicken, vegetables, and no noodles. It uses pre-packaged freeze-dried poultry seasoning to save on time and effort, but you can also add the herbs and seasoning individually.
It is low carb, paleo, candida diet, elimination diet and autoimmune protocol friendly.
Product brands I recommend for this recipe
Litehouse fresh poultry herb blend – Contains freeze-dried onion, thyme, sage, marjoram, spring onion, garlic and rosemary. If you cannot find this product or a similar one, I provide direction below for adding the ingredients individually.
Recipe substitutions
Whole chicken substitutions: I used a medium-sized organic whole chicken in this recipe, but you can also use a smaller cornish hen, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. Even leftover chicken works in this! This recipe is pretty heavy on the meat, so using a small cornish hen would make it less meat heavy and more vegetable and broth heavy.
Broth substitutions: In this recipe I use plain water instead of packaged broth, and in the process of slow cooking the chicken and adding the seasonings, it makes a really nice homemade chicken stock. But if you want to add even more flavor, you can use packaged chicken or vegetable broth instead of straight water. A delicious broth with as much flavor as you can get is the key to a good soup!
Freeze-dried poultry seasoning substitutions: If you aren’t able to find a freeze-dried poultry herb blend, or you have all the ingredients already, here are instructions on adding them individually:
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon of dried sage
- ½ teaspoon of marjoram
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon of onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon of dried rosemary
You can also use bay leaves and fresh herbs if you want to!
Vegetable substitutions: This recipe uses zucchini, carrot, white onion, and celery but you can use any mixture of vegetables that you like. This could include kohlrabi, rutabaga, white potato, squash, or whatever else your heart desires! Use whatever is in your fridge – most vegetables will work to create a flavorful stock.
Dietary modifications
Make this recipe low FODMAP: Omit the fresh white onion. Instead of using a prepackaged freeze-dried poultry seasoning blend, add your herbs individually, making sure to avoid garlic and onion.
Make this recipe low oxalate: Omit the carrots and celery, and instead use vegetables such as cauliflower, mushrooms, rutabaga, turnips, and squash.
Make this recipe higher carb: Make slow cooker chicken noodle soup by adding gluten free noodles of choice. Or alternatively, enjoy it with a piece of crusty bread (gluten-free of course)!
Make this recipe lower fat: Once you’ve reached the end of the cooking time, turn off the heat and wait whatever amount of time is necessary for the layer of fat to rise to the top. Skim it off to remove the extra calories.
Storage tips
This slow cooker whole chicken soup will last in the fridge for up to 1 week. However, it freezes very well and is excellent for doing meal prep. Cool to room temperature before transferring to a large airtight container (or smaller individual sized ones) and freeze for up to 3 months, defrosting as needed throughout the week for lunches and dinners. Meal planning is one of the best ways to keep yourself on track with your nutrition goals!
Frequently asked questions
Can you put raw chicken in a slow cooker?
You can put raw chicken in a slow cooker. You can either put it in on its own, or with broth. If you put it in without broth, cook it on low for eight hours. If it goes in with broth or water, you can either cook it for 4 hours on high, or 8 hours on low. This ensures that the chicken will not burn or stick to the bottom of your slow cooker.
Why do you add the chicken bones and skin from the whole chicken?
The bones and skin from the whole chicken add collagen to the stock. This creates a depth of flavor that works really well in comfort food. It’s why most soup recipes call for using bones whenever possible.
Do you cook the chicken before putting it in soup?
You do not have to cook the chicken before putting it in your soup. In fact, putting it in raw and cooking it low and slow will allow the chicken to stay nice and tender, to the point where it will just fall off the bone. You can use cooked chicken in soup, but if you do, put it in towards the end so that it doesn’t get too overcooked and dry.
How long does it take to boil a whole chicken?
In a slow cooker, it takes either 4-5 hours on high or 8 hours on the low setting to boil a whole chicken. If your chicken is still frozen, it may need to boil for additional time.
What happens if you boil chicken too long?
If you boil chicken for too long on high heat, it may get tougher and more dry. If you boil chicken too long on low heat, it should still remain tender and juicy and will literally fall off the bone.
Can I use a pressure cooker?
Yes! It depends on the size of your bird, or if it is frozen. Cooking time will vary, but for a 3-4 pound fresh (not frozen) chicken, it will take 30 minutes to cook this soup on high pressure once it’s sealed.
I don’t have a slow cooker, can I cook this on the stove top?
Yes! Add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil. Then cover and turn down the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours until you can shred the tender chicken with a fork.
Tried my slow cooker chicken vegetable soup?
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You might also like:
If you liked this recipe, check out my other paleo soup recipes:
- Paleo Beef Stew
- Keto Pho Soup
- Keto Chicken Bacon Soup
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Instant Pot Cream of Cauliflower Soup
Looking for more AIP recipes and meal plans?
I offer a premade one month autoimmune paleo (AIP) meal plan, as well as an additional AIP recipe book which comes with 140 recipes in total (35 breakfast recipes, 35 lunch recipes, 35 dinner recipes, and 35 snack/dessert recipes)
Crockpot Whole Chicken Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Slow cooker, crock pot or instant pot
- Cutting board
- Large knife
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 small whole chicken (or cornish hen)
- 1 zucchini
- 4 whole carrots
- 5 celery sticks
- 1/2 white onion
- 4 tbsp freeze dried poultry herb blend (I recommend Litehouse brand)
- 1 tsp sea salt (or kosher salt)
- 6 cups water
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Add your thawed out whole chicken into your crockpot.
- Cut up your vegetables and add them to the crockpot.
- Add 4 tablespoons of freeze-dried poultry herb blend to the crockpot.If you aren’t able to find this or something similar, use the following:1 teaspoon of dried thyme, ½ teaspoon of dried sage, ½ teaspoon of marjoram, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon of dried rosemary.
- Add 6 cups of water to your crockpot. Depending on the size of your crockpot, you may need to add more or less water. The water should just reach the top of your chicken and vegetables.
- Cook your soup with the chicken, vegetables, water and seasonings for 8 hours on low.
- Let your soup cool a bit and then using two forks, lift your whole chicken out of the soup and onto a cutting board. Pull all of your chicken meat off the bones and add it back to the crockpot. Stir up the meat with your cooked soup. Discard your chicken carcass or use it to make more bone broth!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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