This easy Slow Cooker Chicken Kale Soup is simple to throw together and is delicious and nutritious. Just dump everything but the kale in a slow cooker, walk away for a few hours, shred the chicken, add the kale and you're done.
Slow cooker soups are soup-er (see what I did there) easy to throw together, they make the house smell amazing, and they are one of the most comforting foods. Slow cooker soup recipes are the meals I crave when I'm feeling under the weather or emotionally worn out because they take little effort, contain nourishing ingredients and seem to warm my body and soul. The chicken soup recipe is low-carb, dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo and whole30 so it works for a variety of dietary restrictions.
Try some of my other easy slow cooker soups such as Slow Cooker Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup and Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken Soup.
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Ingredients
Here's what you need to make Chicken Kale Soup:
- chicken broth
- minced fresh garlic
- salt
- black pepper
- dried Italian seasoning
- red pepper flakes
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- white or yellow onion
- kale
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make Slow Cooker Chicken Kale Soup:
1. Chop the onion and trim the fat off of the chicken.
2. Add the broth, garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper, red pepper flakes, diced onion and trimmed chicken to the slow cooker. Stir, then cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
3. Once cooked, remove the chicken to a plate and shred using two forks. Then, add the shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
4. Add the kale to the soup, stir, then serve.
Hint: I like to buy pre-washed and chopped kale to keep this soup simple but you can always buy a bunch of kale and wash and chop it yourself.
Substitutions
Want to substitute one of the ingredients for Chicken Kale Soup? Here's how:
- Kale - use an equal amount of spinach instead of the kale or use one bag of frozen chopped spinach or kale in place of the fresh kale.
- Chicken broth - use an equal amount of chicken stock, chicken bone broth, vegetable broth or bouillion mixed with water in place of the broth.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts - use boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of the breasts for a richer soup.
Variations
Try one of these variations on Slow Cooker Chicken Kale Soup:
- Spicy - increase the red pepper flakes to ½-1 teaspoon.
- Beans - rinse and drain a can of cannellini beans, adding them to the ingredients in the slow cooker prior to cooking for an extra boost of fiber and heartiness in this soup.
- Vegetarian - use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and add two cans of rinsed and drained cannellini beans for protein.
Or try this Turkey Sausage and Kale Soup.
Equipment
This equipment comes in handy to make Slow Cooker Chicken and Kale Soup:
Storage
Once the Slow Cooker Chicken Kale Soup has cooled, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. (Check out this article for more details on how to properly freeze and store soup.)
Top tip
To make this Slow Cooker Chicken and Kale Soup even more nourishing, try making your own bone broth for the soup base.
FAQ
Yes! Kale is high in fiber, iron, antioxidants and calcium as well as vitamins A, C and K adding a significant nutritional boost to whatever soup you add it to.
Related
Looking for more easy slow cooker recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Pair this Chicken Kale Soup with one of these salads for a balanced meal the whole family will love:
Recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Kale Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces kale, in bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- Chop the onion and trim the fat off of the chicken.
- Add the broth, garlic, Italian seasonig, pepper, red pepper flakes, diced onion and trimmed chicken to the slow cooker. Stir, then cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken to a plate and shred using two forks. Then, return to the slow cooker.
- Add the kale, stir, then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Shannon
The perfect easy meal for when you’re feeling under the weather!