Slow-Cooker Lemony Chicken Soup

By Sarah DiGregorio

Updated May 1, 2022

  • Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
7½ hours
Rating
4(1,239)
Comments
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This lemony, herbal take on chicken soup highlights produce, but the basic technique is useful any time you want chicken soup with minimum effort. Slow-cooking chicken in stock creates a richly flavored, double-concentrated stock. Homemade stock is ideal, but you can also use your favorite store-bought stock or bouillon cubes. This recipe is flexible: If peas and asparagus aren’t available, substitute two cups of quick-cooking vegetables, like fresh or frozen corn, baby spinach or arugula, or thinly sliced zucchini. Instead of tortellini, you can add an equivalent amount of cooked pasta or grains.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 6 cups chicken stock or broth

  • 1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

  • 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)

  • 2 carrots, sliced about ½-inch thick

  • 2 celery stalks, sliced about ½-inch thick

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

  • Black pepper and kosher salt

  • 1 lemon, juiced (2 to 3 tablespoons)

  • 1 cup sliced asparagus (about 12 ounces, trimmed and sliced ½-inch thick)

  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas

  • 9 ounces refrigerated spinach-cheese tortellini (optional; see Tip)

  • ½ cup chopped soft fresh herbs, such as dill, mint, tarragon, parsley, chives or a mixture

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

26 grams carbs; 99 milligrams cholesterol; 304 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 9 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 1159 milligrams sodium; 29 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the stock, chicken, leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, red-pepper flakes, onion powder and several generous grinds of black pepper. Add ½ teaspoon kosher salt if using salted stock, 1 teaspoon kosher salt if using low-sodium stock or 2 teaspoons kosher salt if using unsalted stock. Cover and cook on low until the chicken and vegetables are very tender, about 7 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Increase the heat to high. Using two forks, tear apart the chicken into bite-size pieces. Add the lemon juice, asparagus, peas and tortellini, if using, to the soup. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender to crisp-tender, and the tortellini is cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the herbs; season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls to serve.

Tip

  • Add only as many tortellini as will be eaten immediately. The tortellini will get too soft if stored in the soup.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,239 user ratings
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Comments

Austin

WHY would you use boneless chicken in this recipe??? That loses you 3/4 of the flavor and half the nutrients. Use bone-in thighs, and just remove the bones (one per thigh, really) when you shred the chicken.

M in Upstate NY

Since it was 51 degrees and raining I decided to try this. I followed recipe except I seared the chicken for several minutes before adding to crock pot. In the same pan I also quickly sautéed the leeks and garlic in a bit of canola oil. Added to the crock pot and set on low for 6 hours. Used the combo of herbs suggested in recipe. Our verdict: really yummy, and looking forward to leftovers.

Greg w

I didnt have 7.5 hours so I did it using the Instant pot slow cooker function for 3 hours. I cut the vegetables smaller. The chicken came out perfect (165 degrees) as well as the carrots.

katie

Following other suggestions here (and lacking leeks and time), I sautéed the onions, garlic, and carrots in a dutch oven. I only had frozen chicken, so I just threw a couple of frozen chicken thighs, and simmered everything until the chicken was cooked. I also added some grated ginger, a splash of soy sauce - I thought it was delicious and wonderfully versatile (I also had green beans, tomato, and corn that needed to be used, so I tossed those in with the asparagus). I skipped the tortellini and used wild rice. Great last minute dinner that was versatile enough to work with the ingredients I had.

Pam

Added some fresh grated ginger at the beginning and used wild rice.

Doug Young

I added the juice of one lemon and then added a good splash more from the bottle in my fridge. Result was subtle but lemony. I think using bone-in thighs sounds like a good idea and I will try it next time.

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