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(214)
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
214 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.

Tim

Meh is exactly the right description. Flavors are bland, needed a lot of salt and seasoning to get this edible. Liquid is very thin, and shredding in the slow cooker is nearly impossible with all the liquid and potatoes. Wouldn't make this again.

Erin

This was a real disappointment. As other commenters note, 4-5 hours isn’t enough. The potatoes were pretty flavorless, and the chicken was dry and bland. I even used half chicken thighs and brined them over night, and it was still bland. I think this is simply not a great use of the slow cooker, and would suggest doing a similar soup stove top with mirepoix.

Brian

Easy to prepare but somewhat bland

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