Healthy Crockpot Chicken and Vegetable Soup Recipe
The slow cooker gently simmers lean chicken breast and aromatics for hours, so the meat stays fall-apart tender instead of drying out the way it can on the stovetop, and stirring in spinach and lemon juice at the very end keeps the finished soup bright instead of dull and overcooked.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 360 min
- Total
- 375 min
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups carrots, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, canned
- 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 1125
- Protein
- 85g
- Carbs
- 182g
- Fat
- 6g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1Trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- 2Add the diced carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the bottom of the crockpot, then set the chicken breasts on top.
- 3Pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes with their juices, then tuck in the thyme and bay leaves.
- 4Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
- 5Remove the chicken to a cutting board, shred it into bite-sized pieces, and return it to the crockpot.
- 6Stir in the white beans and spinach, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes on high until the spinach wilts.
- 7Discard the bay leaves, stir in the lemon juice, and taste for salt and pepper before serving.
Tips & variations
- Swap the spinach for chopped kale or Swiss chard, just add kale about 20 minutes before the end since it needs longer to soften than spinach.
- For a lower-sodium version, use a no-salt-added broth and canned tomatoes, then season to taste at the end.
- Boneless chicken thighs work in place of breasts and stay just as moist, though the soup will have a slightly higher fat content.
- Stir in a cup of cooked brown rice or whole wheat orzo at the end if you want a heartier, starchier bowl.
Storage & reheating
Refrigerate the cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months; the beans and vegetables hold up well, though the texture will be slightly softer after thawing. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until steaming; if the broth has thickened in the fridge, thin it with a splash of extra broth or water.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Dice the carrots and celery to roughly the same size as the onion so everything finishes cooking at the same rate over the long cook time.
- Never place frozen chicken breasts directly into the crockpot; they take too long to reach a safe internal temperature and sit in the danger zone too long. Thaw them in the refrigerator first.
FAQ
Can I use frozen chicken breasts in this crockpot soup?
No. Frozen chicken takes too long to heat through in a slow cooker, keeping it in the unsafe temperature range for bacteria growth too long. Thaw chicken breasts fully in the refrigerator before adding them.
Is this soup gluten-free?
Yes, as written every ingredient is naturally gluten-free. Just double-check the label on your chicken broth, since some brands add wheat-based thickeners.
Can I make this in an Instant Pot instead of a crockpot?
Yes. Use the pressure cook setting on high for 12 minutes with a natural release, then shred the chicken and stir in the beans and spinach using the saute function for the last few minutes.
How can I make this lower in carbs?
Skip the white beans and add an extra cup of diced zucchini or cauliflower florets in step 2; they'll soften nicely over the long cook time without adding starch.