Recipe

How to Make Chicken Soup in a Slow Cooker

By Jocelyn Hsu at University of California – Berkeley

Winter is coming. Or winter has already come, depending on where you are in the world.

My favorite dish for the winter is chicken soup. These past few years I’ve had to settle for canned chicken noodle soup while at school since I didn’t have an accessible kitchen (#dormlyfe). But now that I do, once temperatures hit under 50°F, I’ve been making chicken soup weekly.

It’s great for a lazy dinner in, to fend off a cold, or just to keep warm when the heater isn’t working.

Crock Pot Chicken Soup

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 hours
  • Total Time: 8 hours and 30 minutes
  • Servings: 6-8 servings
  • Medium
Ingredients
  • 6 chicken legs
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 small onion
  • 6-8 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 5 1/2 cup water
  • Dried herbs, salt, and pepper (to taste)

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

Step 1

Peel and slice onion. Place into slow cooker evenly (2-3 layers of onion).

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

Step 2

Peel garlic and smash with broad side of knife. Sprinkle evenly over onion layers.

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

Step 3

Wash, peel, and chop carrots. Spread over garlic and onion.

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

Step 4

Add salt, freshly ground pepper, and dried herbs (Italian seasoning). I used about 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and dried herbs, but you can definitely add more based on personal preference.

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

Step 5

Add olive oil. Try to pour it in evenly across the vegetables.

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

Step 6

De-skin chicken legs. Try crushing the bones with your hands to break the cartilage. It’ll give your soup more flavor.

Step 7

Place chicken legs into pot evenly. Try not to let them overlap.

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

Step 8

Add water until everything is submerged. I used about 5 1/2 cups water.

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

Step 9

Plug in slow cooker and turn to “low.” Cook for at least 8 hours.

#SpoonTip: Start in the morning, so the soup is ready by dinnertime.

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

Step 10

If you’re worried about seasoning, taste the soup between the 1 and 4 hour mark. Add more salt, pepper, and herbs if needed.

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

Step 11

Serve and enjoy!

Photo by Jocelyn Hsu

More easy, comfort foods for cold winter days: