Ingredients
• 1 whole chicken (3–4 lbs) or 2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs + backs
• 8 cups cold water
• 1 large onion, quartered (skin on for color)
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 parsley sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 1½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
Added Day-Of:
• 2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles (or brown rice noodles for GF)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (brightens at the end)
• Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a 6–7 qt slow cooker, combine chicken, water, onion, carrots, celery, parsley, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt.
- Cover and cook on LOW 8–10 hours or HIGH 4–5 hours, until chicken is fall-apart tender.
- Remove chicken; strain broth into a large pot (discard solids). Skim excess fat if desired. Return broth to slow cooker.
- Shred chicken; discard skin & bones. Return meat to broth.
- Stir in uncooked noodles. Cover and cook on HIGH 20–25 mins—until noodles are al dente.
→ Don’t overcook—noodles soften in hot broth! - Stir in lemon juice and fresh parsley. Adjust salt to taste.
PREP TIME & NUTRITION :
Prep Time: 15 mins, Cook Time: 8 hrs 25 mins (LOW), Total Time: 8 hrs 40 mins, Servings: 8
Calories: 260, Net Carbs: 20g, Fats: 10g, Protein: 26g
✅ Lower-carb option: Skip noodles, add 2 cups chopped kale or zucchini in last 30 mins — net carbs drop to ~8g/serving.
✅ Naturally gluten-free (with GF noodles), dairy-free, and ideal for meal prep (freeze broth base for up to 3 months).