TODAY Food Club

Moms everywhere have known for generations that a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup is a certain cure for just about anything—especially those pesky winter colds. No matter the season, though, I frequently make a batch of this easy, hearty soup to feed and soothe my family. With the slow-cooker recipe below, you can just set it and forget it, and know that a steaming bowl of comfort awaits. Leftovers are super easy to warm up the next morning and send to school or the office—a hug in a thermos! And, research has shown that the mom cure really does work. Chicken soup may actually have anti-inflammatory properties to help relieve colds, and the warm broth soothes as well as hydrates—a key to relieving uncomfortable cold symptoms. So, whether you’re looking for an easy and filling soup on a cold day, or need its soothing properties to feed a family under the weather, look no further than this slow-cooker version to help you out.

Slow Cooker Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup

• Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (or 1½ teaspoons dried)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock/broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups uncooked pasta (wide egg noodles, spaghetti, or fusilli), regular or gluten-free

Preparation

1. In a large (6-quart) slow cooker, place all the ingredients except the pasta. Cook for 6 hours on low heat or 4 hours on high.
2. At the end of the cooking time, remove the chicken and chop it into bite-size pieces. Return the chicken to the cooker.
3. Add the pasta, increase the heat to high, cover, and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
4. Discard the bay leaf, and serve the soup immediately.

Recipe Tags

• Comfort Food
• Soup