Nothing beats comfort food on a chilly evening, and chicken soup is always a winner! Come home to this Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Soup for your weeknight dinner. It’s your new favorite easy slow cooker soup!
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Originally published on sofabfood.com on November 5, 2018.
Most of the summer this year in New Jersey was dreary and rainy, so it’s kind of funny that I’m embracing rainy days now that it’s fall. It might have something to do with the fact that cold, rainy days are perfect for pulling out our favorite slow cooker soup recipes! Is there anything better than whipping up a big batch of soup on a chilly day?
What’s Your Favorite Crock Pot Soup?
I love a good, hearty soup made with flavorful broth and a ton of veggies, like this Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Soup. I made this recipe for the very first time last year. It was a great way to clean out veggies I needed to use up in the fridge. You know how those recipes go! You chop up a bunch of ingredients and hope for the best. Thankfully, it turned out delicious and has became one of my new favorite slow cooker soup recipes!
Come Home to Easy Comfort Food!
This soup starts with bone-in chicken thighs. They get browned on both sides before being added to the slow cooker. I like to use chicken thighs in slow cooker recipes because they stay juicier than other cuts of chicken.
Browning the chicken thighs before adding them to the slow cooker is definitely recommended. That alone will add a deeper flavor to your broth, but so will the bones.
Halfway through cooking, I took the chicken thighs out of the slow cooker. I removed the skin (initially left on for added flavor) and shredded up the chicken. After cooking for a few hours, the chicken practically falls right off the bone!
During this time, I also removed the sprig of rosemary. Rosemary can be a little overpowering, so I took the sprig out to avoid overpowering all of the other delicious flavors that come together in this soup!
The broth itself is made with chicken broth, diced tomatoes, garlic, and onion. Then chunks of potatoes, green beans, baby spinach, and cannellini beans are added to bulk it up. Cook it on low for eight hours and serve with shredded Parmesan cheese on top for a filling and nutritious chicken soup!
Ingredients
- 1 lb bone-in chicken thighs
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 15-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed
- 4 cups baby white potatoes, quartered
- 6 cups baby spinach leaves
- 2-3 cups green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Optional: crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet.
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place in the skillet.
- Cook until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes. Remove from skillet and add to the bottom of a slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, add the garlic and onions. Cook just until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes.
- Add the veggies, beans, and seasonings. Stir to combine.
- Cook on low for eight hours. Spoon into bowls with shredded Parmesan cheese on top.
- Serve with bread sticks or biscuits.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: Speed up the prep work by shredding up a rotisserie chicken or using leftover chicken instead.
As you can see, this isn’t your average chicken soup recipe! It’s full of Italian flavors and delicious veggies! This soup makes a really big batch, so make sure to have your jars ready for freezing. It’s chicken soup with an extra bit of comfort for cold nights!
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