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A flavorful, easy, and delicious crockpot chicken soup recipe made with potatoes, orzo, and other veggies. It is perfect for busy weekdays or any time you want to use your slow cooker.
Now that my older kids have after school activities, I have been making slow cooker recipes more and more. It really works out great because when we get home later, I don’t have to think about dinner, since it is already made. My Slow Cooker Turkey Chili, Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew, and Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe have been on our regular rotation.
But my kids really love chicken soup, so I decided it was time to come up with a slow cooker version. And this crockpot chicken soup is a huge hit! My kids and husband said that they like it even better than my regular chicken soup recipe, which is huge. I’m happy because this chicken soup is high protein, full of veggies, an very filling.
Table of Contents
What makes this slow cooker chicken soup great:
- It is easy to make! The slow cooker does most of the work, making it great for busy weeknights.
- It’s family approved. Everyone in my family love it, from my toddler to my bigger kids to my husband. It also makes great leftovers!
- It’s great for meal prep. You can have this soup for lunch or dinner. It reheats wonderfully.
- It is high protein! Especially if you use bone broth. (I like to use half bone broth, half chicken broth in this recipe).
- It’s cozy and good for you. This chicken orzo potato soup is made with wholesome ingredients like protein, veggies, and gut-healthy broth.
Recipe ingredients
- Chicken breast– this gets cooked in the slow cooker and shredded at the end. So yummy!
- Salt and pepper– you’ll need some salt while the soup cooks, and more once it is done.
- Ground ginger, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried rosemary– these herbs and spices season the soup while it cooks and really enhance the flavor.
- Nutritional yeast– this adds such a delicious rich flavor to the chicken soup. You don’t have to use it, but if you have it on hand, I highly recommend it.
- Carrots and celery rib– Both of these veggies add crunch and flavor. I don’t use very much celery, but if you want to add more feel free.
- Potatoes– this adds texture and heartiness to the soup. It is also my kids favorite veggie for chicken soup, which is a plus.
- Bone broth / Chicken broth– this makes up the base of the soup. I personally like to use a mixture of both to add more protein.
- Frozen peas– these get added towards the end of cooking.
- Orzo– these little pastas add a “noodle” vibe to the soup, while not taking over.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions/ Substitutions
- You can use only bone broth or only chicken broth in this recipe. I find a 1/2 and 1/2 mix to be best.
- Instead of frozen peas, you can use fresh peas. Add them during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Instead of orzo, you can use pearl couscous or another smaller sized pasta.
- You can add ground turmeric for some added immune support.
- You can add more or less carrots and celery, based on your preferences.
- Instead of potatoes, you can use parsnip.
- You can add zucchini or cauliflower in the last 30 minutes of cooking if you want more veggies.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Put the chicken breast into your crockpot. Top with salt, pepper, ground ginger, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and nutritional yeast.
Step 2: Add the sliced carrots, celery, potatoes and chicken stock/ bone broth to the slow cooker. Put the cover on put the slow cooker on.
Step 3: In the last half hour of cooking, add the orzo.
Step 4: Add the frozen peas after the orzo.
Step 5: When the soup is done, remove the chicken breast and shred on a separate plate.
Step 6: Put the shredded chicken back into the crockpot, add a bit more salt, and mix before serving.
Expert tips
- If you want this recipe to have more protein in it, use bone broth instead of chicken broth. Or even use 1/2 bone broth and half chicken broth, which is my preference.
- Make sure you cut the potatoes to bite sized pieces.
- Don’t forget to add the other teaspoon of salt at the end of this recipe. This soup has so much liquid that it needs it for flavor.
- How to store: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days.
Other crockpot recipes you’ll love:
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
Crockpot Chicken Soup with Potatoes and Orzo
Equipment
- 1 crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast, (optional)
- 2-3 large carrots, sliced
- 1 rib celery, sliced
- 1 1/2 lbs potatoes, cubed
- 8 cups Bone broth or chicken broth, (I like doing 4 cups of bone broth and 4 cups of chicken broth)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup orzo
Instructions
- Put the chicken breast into the bottom of your slow cooker/ crockpot. Cover the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon dried rosemary. Optional- add 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast on top of the chicken as well. I love the flavor this adds, but you don't need to use it.
- Add the sliced carrots, cubed potatoes, and sliced celery to the crockpot. Pour the bone broth or chicken broth into the crockpot.
- Put the crockpot cover on and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- In the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the frozen peas and orzo to the slow cooker.
- Once the soup is done, remove the chicken from the crockpot and put into a large dish. Shred the chicken with two forks, then stir the shredded chicken back into the pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the crockpot and give it one final stir.
Notes
- If you want this recipe to have more protein in it, use bone broth instead of chicken broth. Or use 1/2 bone broth and half chicken broth, which is my preference.
- Make sure you cut the potatoes to bite sized pieces.
- Don’t forget to add the other teaspoon of salt at the end of this recipe. This soup has so much liquid that it needs it for flavor.
- How to store: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you need a chicken soup slow cooker recipe, look no further! This soup is a favorite in my home. It has so much flavor yet is incredibly comforting.