Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken Soup

Square overhead shot of crock pot chicken soup on a dinner table

5 from 2 votes

Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken Soup

This Crock Pot chicken soup is loaded with tender meat, crispy bacon, sweet corn, broccoli, and zesty Rotel tomatoes in a creamy, cheesy broth!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword crock pot chicken soup, crock pot chicken soup no noodles, crock pot chicken vegetable soup, crockpot chicken soup no noodles, easy crock pot chicken soup

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 20

Servings cups

Calories 268kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

4 strips bacon, chopped
1 cup finely diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced, pressed, or grated
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, not diluted
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup, not diluted
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn
1 (12.6 ounce) package frozen baby broccoli florets
1 (14.25 ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles, not drained
8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (such as the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)

Instructions

In a skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7-8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a slow cooker with a slotted spoon, reserving the drippings in the pan.
Add the onion to the bacon drippings in the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for stir for 1 more minute. Pour 1 cup of the broth into the skillet, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the broth, onion, and garlic mixture to the slow cooker. Pour in the additional 2 cups of broth, condensed soups, corn, broccoli, cream-style corn, and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours, until the soup is warm and the broccoli is tender.
Add Velveeta, cheddar, and chicken to the slow cooker. Stir, and then place the lid back on the slow cooker and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Stir it again to make sure that the cheese is completely melted and smooth.
Give it taste, and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Ladle into bowls and enjoy warm!

Notes

If you prefer to start with raw chicken, you'll need about 1 lb. of uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs. Add the chicken to the slow cooker at the beginning (when you add the broth, broccoli, and tomatoes). Cook until the chicken is done and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Shred the meat with two forks and then stir it back into the soup.
Instead of the frozen broccoli florets, substitute with about 3 cups of fresh broccoli florets.
Swap out the chicken and use leftover ham, ham steaks, or diced ham.
Use leftover turkey (from Thanksgiving!) instead of chicken.
Add shredded carrots to the soup for even more veggies. This is a classic addition to a traditional broccoli cheese soup, and would be delicious here as well.
Stir in a can of drained black beans or pinto beans in lieu of the chicken.
To prevent your cheese soup from becoming grainy or curdled, make sure that the soup doesn't get too hot. You don't want to boil the soup, or the proteins in the cheese tighten up, squeeze out the fat, and give you that unpleasant curdled texture. That's why we wait to add the cheese at the end!
Velveeta provides (by far!) the best, smoothest, creamiest texture for a cheesy soup. Yes, you can substitute with other types of cheese...but the soup will not have the same taste or mouthfeel.
Use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for an easy, flavorful shortcut. Wait to add it at the end so that it doesn't become dry or overcooked.
Garnish each bowl with chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, rosemary, or thyme, for even more fresh flavor.

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