My grandma would be so proud! After all, this is the way our grandparents used to cook, saving any bones from the meat they cooked to make homemade broth! Store bought broth that comes in a box doesn’t even compare to homemade. Not only is homemade broth full of vitamins and minerals, it also tastes so rich and flavorful!
One of the easiest ways to cook a whole chicken is to cook it in your slow cooker. It’s a big time and money saver, since you’ll not only have shredded chicken, but also homemade chicken broth, all from one chicken!
In this recipe, I’ll give you directions on how to make a whole chicken in your slow cooker, use the bones to make broth, and then roast the vegetables to add even more depth of flavor to the soup. At first glance, this recipe may seem long, but I promise you, it’s so easy, with very little hands-on time!
There are so many ways you can use this recipe. You can use the shredded chicken for dinner the same day you cook it, or for recipes throughout the week (like my Ranch Chicken Salad), and you can save the broth you make for later use! I love freezing my broth in individual silicone trays, like this one, and then storing the broth “pucks” in a freezer bag. That way I can just take out what I need from the freezer! I can’t tell you how much time this recipe saves!
Happy cooking!
Slow Cooker & Roasted Vegetable Soup
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (or any herbs/spices that you like)
For the Broth:
- 12 cups water (less if your slow cooker is smaller)
- 1/2 yellow onion, quartered
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (this helps to draw the minerals from the bones)
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Vegetables:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee
- 4 cups Japanese yams or sweet potatoes, diced into 1 inch pieces (approximately 1 medium)
- 3 cups cauliflower, chopped (approximately 1 small head)
- 2 cups zucchini, sliced (about 1 medium)
- 1 cup carrots, sliced (approximately 1 large)
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- salt & pepper
Additional Ingredients For the Soup:
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
Instructions
For the Chicken:
- Rinse the chicken and remove the giblets. If you'd like, you can add the giblets to the broth while it's cooking, to add more nutrients.
- Place the chicken in your slow cooker and sprinkle well with the seasonings.
- Place the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Carefully Remove the chicken from your slow cooker and shred the meat. Place the bones back into the slow cooker. Don't worry about any scraps of meat left on the bones, it'll just add to the flavor of the broth!
To Make the Broth:
- Add the water, onion, celery, carrots, apple cider vinegar, and salt to your slow cooker with the chicken bones.
- Cook on low for 12 hours (or overnight).
- Strain the bones and vegetables from the broth. Set the broth aside.
Roasting the Vegetables:
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Melt the coconut oil or ghee and toss the oil with vegetables and garlic in a large bowl to coat well. Place the vegetables in a single layer on two parchment paper lined baking sheets. Season with salt & pepper.
- Bake the vegetables for 35-45 minutes, or until they're nicely browned.
Making the Soup:
- While the vegetables are roasting, bring the broth to a simmer in a large pot. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the vegetables, shredded chicken, thyme and parsley to the broth. Add salt & pepper to taste.
- Enjoy! So good, and so healing!
**This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase something from one of my links, I will receive a small percentage, at no additional cost to you. I will only ever recommend products that I truly believe in, and that I use myself or find to be very valuable. Thanks for helping me to keep my blog up and running!
Yummy! You always make the best soups!
Thanks, Kendra!
Kristen, loved the soup! So delicious! Thanks for sharing!
So glad you liked it!!
Sounds wonderfully healing! Definitely keeping this one for later!
Thanks, Kiersten!
Perfect for this cold winter day!
It really is! 🙂