Slow Cooker Chicken Risoni Soup

This slow cooker chicken risoni soup is the kind of meal you throw together in the morning and come home to a ready dinner. A whole chicken slow-cooks with vegetables and warm spices until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, then risoni goes in at the end to soak up all that flavourful broth. It’s hearty, comforting, and makes enough to feed the whole family with leftovers to spare.

Serves 6

Prep Time 480

Cook Time 8 hours 15 minutes

Looking for more comforting one-pot meals? Try my Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas, my Quick Chicken and Vegetable Soup, or my Lemon Chicken Risoni with Zucchini.

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Helpful Tips

Storage

Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The risoni will continue to absorb liquid as it sits — add a splash of water when reheating to loosen.
Freezer: Freeze without the risoni for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and cook fresh risoni directly in the reheated soup before serving.
Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until piping hot.

Substitutions

Whole chicken: Swap for 1kg bone-in chicken thighs if you prefer — they’ll shred just as well and cook in the same time.
Risoni: Orzo, ditalini, or small pasta shells all work. Cooking time may vary slightly so check the packet.
Zucchini: Replace with diced potato or parsnip for a heartier soup.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with crusty sourdough or a warm bread roll to mop up the broth.
A squeeze of fresh lemon over each bowl brightens the whole thing.
Top with grated parmesan for extra depth.

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Ingredients Directions

Serving Scaler

Serves 6 1x 2x 3x

Ingredients

For the soup:

1 whole chicken (about 1.8kg)
1 brown onion, diced
1 leek, sliced
2 carrots, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
1 large zucchini, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 tbsp paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
Chicken stock or bone broth — enough to come halfway up the chicken (approx 1.5 litres)

To finish:

250g risoni
Large handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Lemon wedges, to serve
Parmesan

Directions

Place the onion, leek, carrots, celery, zucchini, and garlic into the slow cooker.
Rub the paprika, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper all over the chicken, including under the skin where possible. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
Pour in enough stock or bone broth to come halfway up the chicken. Place the lid on and cook on low for 7–8 hours or high for 4–5 hours, until the chicken is completely tender and falling off the bone.
Carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker and set aside to cool slightly. Using two forks, shred the meat from the carcass. Discard the skin and bones.
Turn the slow cooker to high if not already. Add the risoni directly into the broth and stir to combine. Place the lid back on and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the risoni is just tender. Keep an eye on it — risoni absorbs liquid quickly and you want the soup saucy, not stodgy.
Stir the shredded chicken back through the soup. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Ladle into bowls, scatter over fresh parsley, parmesan and serve with lemon wedges.

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Nutritional Information

( per serving, based on 6 )

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	480 kcal
Protein	42 g
Carbohydrates	38 g
Fat	16 g
Fibre	2 g

Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a general reference only. Actual values may vary. This is not a substitute for professional dietary advice.