Slow Cooker Chicken Vesuvio Soup

By Carolina Gelen

Published Aug. 7, 2025

Slow Cooker Chicken Vesuvio Soup
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Total Time
4½ hours
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
4 ¼ hours
Rating
4(185)
Comments
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In this no-fuss recipe, chicken Vesuvio undergoes a brothy makeover: Imagine the elements and flavors of the beloved Chicago dish concentrated in a pot, with chicken, oregano, thyme, garlic, lemon, wine and more. The result is a herby, lemony and garlicky chicken soup made substantial with the addition of potatoes and sweet peas. Once the potatoes are chopped into chunks, the ingredients combine in a slow cooker. Once the chicken breast is fork-tender and easy to pull apart, frozen peas are added to the mix for an inviting sweet flavor alongside a shower of freshly chopped parsley. For the best flavor, taste before serving and season generously with salt and pepper until every spoonful is perfectly salted.  

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Ingredients

Yield:About 16 cups (6 or so servings)
  • 4boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 pounds) 
  • 2Yukon Gold potatoes (1 pound), cut into 1-inch cubes 
  • 12garlic cloves, crushed, peeled and sliced
  • 8fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1½teaspoons dried oregano
  • 8cups chicken stock 
  • ½cup dry white wine
  • ½cup lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
  • Salt and black pepper 
  • 12ounces frozen peas
  • ½cup finely chopped parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

310 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 39 grams protein; 1028 milligrams sodium

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 slow cooker, combine the chicken, potatoes, garlic, thyme, oregano, stock, wine and lemon juice. Season with a big pinch of salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on low until the chicken shreds easily when pulled with a fork and potatoes are tender, 4 to 5 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Using a wooden spoon or two forks, break the chicken breast into smaller chunks directly in the slow cooker.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the peas. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.

  4. Step 4

    Serve with fresh parsley on top.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
185 user ratings
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Comments

MarkP

I made this, and found 4-5 hours to be WAY less than needed to soften the chicken and potatoes. I'm interested in others' experiences, but perhaps the recipe would be better to suggest high setting for the slow cooker? It took more like 9 hours for the soup to achieve the proper consistency for me.

Richard X

Boneless thighs would do just as well and likely be tastier.

Shari

Made this last night and, wow, was it delicious. Agree with other comments about cook time - on low setting it took much longer than 4.5 hrs. To get potatoes cooked to the right softness I needed at least 6.5 hrs with my crock pot. Next time I may start it out on high.

Brian

Easy to prepare but somewhat bland

Mitsya Marsupial

I halved this & cooked it on high for just under 3 hours; removed, shredded, returned chicken with a good dose of black & dash of Aleppo pepper, then turned off the pot 30 min later to serve. I left out the wine due to lack & peas due to disdain. PERFECTION. Pretty sure a bowl of this when we had the flu last week would've cured us within 24 hours.

Gerry Aitken

I agree with all of the negative comments - a disappointment. It was tasteless, and the recipe should have noted that the potatoes could not have been cooked in the recommended time. I’m grateful that I tried this first and did not serve it to guests. A final comment (complaint) - why did the instructions state that the chicken should be shredded in the crock pot? After one minute I removed the breasts and shredded them on a platter easily. This is the first recipe I have tried - I am hoping for better results in the future

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