Some evenings you want dinner to practically make itself. While that’s not literal, this Slow-Cooker Chicken Soup with Bacon & Potatoes comes close: minimal hands-on work and a comforting, hearty result. Serve it with a green salad and crusty bread for a complete meal.
This recipe is not purely “dump-and-forget.” It finishes in under five hours and mostly simmers unattended after initial prep, with the potatoes added halfway through.
What you’ll need to get started…
- Center-cut bacon slices – diced. Chilling bacon briefly in the freezer makes chopping easier.
- Bone-in chicken thighs – skinned. Thighs are preferred for richer flavor and tender texture; boneless thighs may be used but bones add extra depth to the broth.
- Herbes de Provence – a fragrant French blend (thyme, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, etc.) that brings Mediterranean aroma to the dish.
- Leeks – thinly sliced; use only the white and pale green parts. Soak the sliced leeks to remove grit.
- Carrots – cut into substantial slices.
- Celery – cut into substantial slices.
- Chicken stock – use your favorite prepared stock or homemade if available; divided in the recipe.
- Kosher salt – adjust if substituting table salt (use about two-thirds the amount).
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh thyme sprigs – add aromatic, earthy notes.
- Baby potatoes – small new potatoes with thin skins and a creamy texture.
- Fresh baby spinach – tender leaves that wilt quickly into the hot soup.
The soup base begins with rendered bacon drippings. Cook the bacon until crisp, set it aside, and leave about a teaspoon of the fat in the skillet.
- Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp; remove and set aside, leaving 1 teaspoon drippings in the pan.
Use bone-in chicken thighs when possible. Remove the skin and season the thighs evenly with herbes de Provence. If you prefer boneless thighs, they’ll work — but bones add flavor to the finished soup.
- Sprinkle chicken with Herbes de Provence.
- Add seasoned chicken to the reserved bacon drippings; brown about 8 minutes, turning to brown all sides.
- Transfer browned chicken with a slotted spoon to a 6-quart slow cooker, saving any pan drippings.
About Herbes de Provence
Herbes de Provence is a fragrant southern French blend introduced to many American cooks decades ago. Common herbs include thyme, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, and parsley; you can adjust the mix to suit your taste.
A simple homemade blend:
- 3 tablespoons dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- Add the prepared leeks, carrots, and celery to the skillet drippings and sauté about 5 minutes.
- Stir in 1 cup chicken stock, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits.
This is where the soup comes together
- Add the sautéed leek mixture and cooked bacon to the slow cooker with the browned chicken.
- Add the remaining 3 cups of stock, kosher salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs.
- Set the slow cooker to LOW, gently combine, cover, and cook for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, add the baby potatoes to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cover and continue cooking on LOW for 2 more hours, until potatoes are tender.
Finishing steps
- Check that the potatoes are tender.
- Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and place on a plate to cool slightly; discard thyme sprigs.
- When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and cut into bite-size pieces.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker. Discard the bones or freeze for future stock.
- Stir in the chopped spinach and mix just until it wilts and blends into the broth.
Serve
This dish is hearty—almost stew-like—so pair it with a fresh green salad and crusty bread to round out the meal.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Soup with Bacon & Potatoes
Adapted from Cooking Light. A hearty, stew-like chicken soup—serve with salad and crusty bread.
Ingredients
- 4 center-cut bacon slices, diced
- 1 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
- 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
- 2 cups thinly sliced leek (white & light green parts; about 8 ounces)
- 1 cup sliced carrot (from 2 large carrots; about 6 ounces)
- 1 cup sliced celery (from 2 large stalks; about 6 ounces)
- 4 cups chicken stock, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 5 fresh thyme sprigs
- 14 ounces baby potatoes
- 2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach (about 2.5 ounces)
Instructions
- Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings. Set bacon aside.
- Sprinkle chicken with herbes de Provence. Add chicken to the pan; brown about 8 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Transfer chicken to a 6-quart slow cooker, reserving pan drippings.
- Add leeks, carrots, and celery to the pan drippings; sauté about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup chicken stock, scraping to loosen browned bits. Add the leek mixture and cooked bacon to the slow cooker along with remaining 3 cups stock, salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours.
- Add potatoes, cover, and cook on LOW for 2 more hours until potatoes are tender.
- Remove chicken with a slotted spoon; discard thyme sprigs. Remove meat from bones and cut into bite-size pieces. Return chicken to the slow cooker, add spinach, and stir until wilted.
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