There’s nothing better than coming home to a hearty soup that has been simmering in the slow cooker. This Slow Cooker Chicken Chickpea Minestrone is filled with tender shredded chicken, chickpeas, buckwheat or quinoa, and plenty of vegetables. An optional garlicky herb sauce adds a fresh, flavorful finish. It’s filling, easy to prepare and exactly the kind of dinner you want waiting for you at the end of a busy day.

Tender chicken and vegetable soup with chickpeas, carrots, and leafy greens in a comforting broth, perfect for easy homemade meals and nourishing family dinners.

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7½ hours on Low or 4½–5½ hours on High

Soup Ingredients

2 shallots or 1 onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon ghee or butter
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
⅔ cup buckwheat groats or quinoa, rinsed
4–6 cups fresh kale, thick stems removed and leaves torn

Optional Garlicky Herb Sauce

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Shallots a can of chickpeas, a bowl of kale, a small bowl of buckwheat grains, chicken broth, and a glass jar, cherry tomatoes, ahead of garlic chicken breast on a white plate and a white bowl is too crushed tomatoes, carrots, fennel, silver bowl, Italian seasoning, and a bay leaf all on parchment paper on the white counter.

Get the full printable instructions with measurements at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Step-by-Step Directions

Step 1: Add the shallots, carrots, fennel, garlic, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, salt and black pepper to a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the chicken breasts over the vegetables and add the ghee or butter on top. Pour in the chicken broth.

Into a crockpot with tomatoes, vegetables, chicken breast seasoning, and butter. All on the counter.

Chicken broth is being poured into a crockpot with tomatoes, vegetables, chicken breast seasoning, and butter. All on the counter.

Step 2: Cover and cook on Low for 7 hours or on High for 4–5 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Step 3: Remove and discard the bay leaf. Transfer the chicken to a plate, shred it with two forks and return it to the slow cooker.

In a crockpot on the counter is the hardy soup with chickpeas and buckwheat grains in a gold mesh strainer are being poured into the crockpot.

In a crockpot on the counter is the hardy soup with 4 cups of kale being placed on top of it.

Step 4: Stir in the chickpeas, rinsed buckwheat or quinoa, and kale. Cover and cook on High for approximately 30 minutes, or until the grain is tender and the kale is wilted. Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper as needed.

Step 5: Make the optional garlicky herb sauce. Add the parsley, garlic, lemon zest, olive oil and red pepper flakes to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Season with salt and black pepper, then drizzle the sauce over each bowl of soup before serving.

Slow cooker, chicken, chickpea soup in a bowl with garlic herb topping on a white counter with an orange towel and above it.

🍋 Simply Made Tips

Make the sauce ahead. Prepare the garlicky herb sauce in advance and refrigerate it in a covered container until serving.
Swap the grain. Quinoa is an easy substitute for buckwheat and adds a mild, nutty flavor. Cooking times may vary slightly, so check the grain for tenderness before serving.
Try another bean. Cannellini beans, kidney beans or great northern beans can replace the chickpeas.
Control the sodium. Reduced-sodium broth makes it easier to adjust the seasoning at the end. If using regular broth, reduce or omit the added salt until you taste the finished soup.
Adjust the consistency. Buckwheat and quinoa absorb some of the broth as they cook. Add more warm broth if you prefer a thinner soup.

🥕 Before You Go…

If soup season never really ends at your house, browse our collection of soups and stews for more easy, satisfying meals. You can also find more family favorites in our collection of easy chicken dinner recipes.

Chicken Chickpea Minestrone

This Slow Cooker Chicken Chickpea Minestrone is a dish your whole family will love.

Tara

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 7

Total Time 7 10

Servings

Equipment

Slow cooker

Ingredients

Soup Ingredients

2 shallots or 1 onion (roughly chopped)
2 carrots (sliced)
1 small fennel bulb (thinly sliced)
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
28 ounces can crushed or diced tomatoes
15 ounces canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp ghee or butter
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
⅔ cup buckwheat groats or quinoa (rinsed)
4-6 cups fresh kale (thick stems removed and leaves torn)

Optional Garlicky Herb Sauce

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Add the shallots, carrots, fennel, garlic, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, salt and black pepper to a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the chicken breasts over the vegetables and add the ghee or butter on top. Pour in the chicken broth.
Cover and cook on Low for 7 hours or on High for 4–5 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Remove and discard the bay leaf. Transfer the chicken to a plate, shred it with two forks and return it to the slow cooker.
Stir in the chickpeas, rinsed buckwheat or quinoa, and kale. Cover and cook on High for approximately 30 minutes, or until the grain is tender and the kale is wilted. Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper as needed.
Make the optional garlicky herb sauce.** Add the parsley, garlic, lemon zest, olive oil and red pepper flakes to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Season with salt and black pepper, then drizzle the sauce over each bowl of soup before serving.