Crockpot Chicken Quinoa Soup is loaded with quinoa, shredded chicken, lots of veggies, and Italian-inspired herbs. It’s hearty and perfect for a cozy meal.
author’s note
My Go-To Soup That Never Fails!
This quinoa soup has been a total hit in my house. I first made it on a busy weeknight when I needed something easy and filling. I tossed everything into the crockpot and hoped for the best, and it turned out to be one of those surprise dinners everyone loved. It’s become a recipe I make again and again.
It’s been such a favorite that I decided to play around with the flavors and try a more Italian-inspired version.
I added herbs like basil and oregano, and it completely transformed the soup. The mix of tender chicken, hearty quinoa, and veggies with those Italian herbs makes it so flavorful and comforting. It’s simple, nourishing, and honestly one of my all-time favorite crockpot dinners now.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swap, variation, or tip |
|---|---|
| Quinoa | Rinse well before adding. Use tri-color or red quinoa for extra color, or reduce the amount if you want a thinner soup. |
| Boneless, skinless chicken breasts | Swap for chicken thighs or use leftover rotisserie chicken and add it near the end. |
| Fire-roasted diced tomatoes | Regular diced tomatoes work fine. |
| Mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery) | Save time with frozen mirepoix, or toss in extra veggies like zucchini or green beans toward the end of cooking. |
| Italian herbs (Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, thyme) | You can swap any for fresh herbs if you have them! |
| Chicken stock & bay leaves | Go with low-sodium stock to better control salt in this chicken quinoa soup. |
| Baby spinach | Swap for kale or Swiss chard. Add it at the end so it stays bright and tender. |
Featured Comment
“I am making this for supper tonight for the second time – we Loved it the first time around! Amazing flavour! Thank you so much for sharing.”
– Jackie
How To Make Chicken Quinoa Soup
- Sauté veggies: Cook onion, carrot, and celery in oil until soft.
- Add flavor: Stir in garlic, tomato paste, and seasonings.
- Transfer to slow cooker: Add chicken, quinoa, tomatoes, bay leaves, and broth.
- Cook: Cover and cook on high until chicken is tender and quinoa has popped.
- Finish: Shred chicken, stir it back in, and add spinach if you like.
- Serve: Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve warm with Parmesan and crusty bread.
Storage
- Store leftover chicken quinoa soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days. Add a splash of broth when reheating since quinoa absorbs liquid as it sits.
- This soup doesn’t freeze well once quinoa is added. To freeze, store the soup before adding quinoa and cook it fresh when ready to serve.
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Crockpot Chicken Quinoa Soup
Crockpot Chicken Quinoa Soup is hearty, cozy, and packed with quinoa, shredded chicken, veggies, and Italian herbs. Let the slow cooker do the work!
Equipment
- Large cast-iron pot or skillet
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- Salt and pepper to taste preference
- 2 small (12 ounces or 3/4 a pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts each breast cut into 3–5 pieces
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes undrained
- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa see note 1
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach optional
- Serving suggestions see note 2
Instructions
- In a cast-iron pot or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add in diced onion, diced carrots, and diced celery. Cook and stir for 7–9 minutes. Add minced garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes, if using. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until fragrant and combined, another 1–3 minutes. Transfer all this mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Remove any fat from the chicken breasts and cut into chunks—about 3–5 per breast. (This ensures it will cook in the same time.) Place in the slow cooker along with the undrained fire-roasted diced tomatoes, uncooked quinoa (see note 1), bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir together.
- Cover and cook on high for 3–5 hours or until quinoa has “popped” and chicken shreds easily. I don’t recommend cooking on low (see note 3). Once chicken shreds easily, remove from the slow cooker into a separate bowl or plate and shred with two forks. Return to the soup and stir. Remove bay leaves and discard. If desired, add coarsely chopped baby spinach and stir gently to wilt. Taste soup and season with any additional salt or pepper as needed.
- Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh basil and lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy with a side of warm, hearty bread.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Rinse quinoa before adding it to the soup to remove its bitter saponin coating. Use a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until clear. Many brands are pre-rinsed, so check the package first.
Note 2: Serving suggestions: fresh basil, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and warm, hearty bread.
Note 3: When cooked on low, the quinoa finishes a lot quicker than the chicken and veggies. The longer this soup sits or cooks, the more broth the quinoa absorbs. This makes it heartier and less broth-y. If you want a more broth-y soup, watch carefully and turn the heat off the slow cooker when it is your desired consistency. Alternatively, add more broth as desired.
Storage: When stored, note that the quinoa will continue to absorb liquid. This soup does not freeze and thaw well.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.6g | Protein: 7.1g | Fat: 7.7g | Cholesterol: 7.9mg | Sodium: 260.6mg | Fiber: 3.6g | Sugar: 5.3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Crockpot Chicken Quinoa Soup Notes
- Cooking time matters: The longer it cooks, the more liquid the quinoa absorbs. For a thicker soup, cook longer; for a brothier one, stop once the quinoa “pops.”
- Check for doneness: Cook time varies by slow cooker. Look for tender veggies, cooked quinoa, and chicken that shreds easily.
- Use the right size: Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Crock-pot is a common brand name.
Great recipe – I have made it several times
and we always sit down and sink into YUM.
Delicious on a cold wintery day. Making it
for dinner tonight, leftovers are great. Thanks for sharing!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much Doni! 🙂
Hi Chelsea, I’d like to make this today, however I do not have 4 hours or more. I was wondering if I can make this in either an instantpot or a stock pot?
Can this soup be cooked on the stove top?
Sure!
I want to make a chicken stew but cannot seem to find a recipe where I can add all sorts of veggies, mushrooms, peppers, courgettes, carrots, parsnips, spinach cauliflower, new potatoes, sweet potatoes all in proportion of course, and also perhaps add some red lentils and or quiona. My worry is whether I add all the vegetables at the beginning or in stages as some cook quicker than others. I am not too sure how long quinoa or red lentils take to cook so don’t know whether to add this at the beginning or towards the end of cooking time. What are your thoughts on this please. Thank you.
It was good the night I made it, but the second day it was amazing! The flavors all marinated more and it was just great. Plus it was so incredibly easy to make.
So happy to hear that! Thanks 🙂
This soup is absolutely fantastic, very filling, very flavorful (I added a total of 3 tsp of minced garlic) and super easy! For those on WW, I measured out 6 servings @ 1 1/2 cup = 2 SmartPoints. I used O Organics Quinoa and low sodium chicken broth and did not have a problem with it being thick, cooked it for 4 hrs on high, I have a All-Clad 7 qt Slow Cooker from Williams Sonoma.
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-gourmet-slow-cooker-with-all-in-one-browning/?pkey=s%7Call%20clad%20slow%20cooker%7C11. Thank you for sharing Chelsea!!
So happy you enjoyed it!! Thanks for the comment Stacy 🙂
I like this recipe, very easy but I cooked it over the stove which is faster. I used chicken stock and water to cook the soup with the ingredients except quinoa. When the soup is boiling and the vegetables looking soft especially the tomatoes, then I add in the quinoa to cook for another 15 mins before I off and leaving it to become fluffy. Thanks for sharing and I will definitely cook this again.
To avoid the quinoa soaking up all the liquid, do you think I could add a 28 oz can of tomatoes, rather than the 14 oz? Or would that throw off the balance of flavours? Thanks! Want to make this tonight:)
I think that would be great! 🙂
I cooked this and ate some before I went to bed. Delicious. Turned off crock pot to let cool before refrigerated and quinoa soak up almost all the broth and a lot of the spices flavor. Just wondering if there is a way to add liquid to present soup and some extra spice. Thanks.
You can always add in some more stock/broth and a few more of the seasonings if needed 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight; other than using plain quinoa (couldn’t find any flavored), followed the recipe exactly. It was delicious!
So happy to hear that! 🙂 Thanks for the comment Mechele! 🙂