Simple Slow Cooker Chicken Salsa Soup

Possibly the easiest and tastiest soup you'll ever make! 

Okay you guys, this may well be the easiest—and one of the tastiest—dishes I've come up with in a loooooong time. Just six ingredients that you probably already have on hand and a crock pot. It really couldn't be simpler.

I was running short on time and inspiration yesterday and I needed a fast meal that I didn't have to do much (read: any) prep for. My friend Kristen shared this yummy recipe for a five-ingredient white chili on Facebook, but I didn't have the right beans and the crushed tomatoes were calling my name. Plus, let’s face it, any meal that can be cooked in a crock pot in my house will be.

So I went the pantry (a.k.a a plastic shelf in my garage), pulled out the ingredients, tossed them in the slow cooker, and walked away. Here’s what went into the pot:

Simple Slow Cooker Chicken Salsa Soup
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
2 (15-ounce) cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 (12-ounce) jar salsa verde (green salsa)
1 (28-ounce can) crushed tomatoes in juice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 tablespoon ground cumin

Directions
Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours. Easy peasy.

Results
I already told you that this soup turned out tasty. But it’s a true testament to yumminess when I’m eating leftover piping hot soup…at 10 AM…when it’s already in the mid-80s outside…and the AC is blasting. Southern California has not gotten the memo that it’s supposed to be FALL and it’s killing me. I think I’ll go light my pumpkin spice candle in protest.

Seriously though, the hubs gave this one the thumbs up and I’m eating it for breakfast, so yeah, rave reviews all around. It’s clean too, so totally AdvoCare approved. Woot Woot! Double bonus.

You could garnish this soup with all sorts of stuff like cilantro, green onions, lime wedges, and—if you're being indulgent—cheese and tortilla chips, but I promise you, it’s delicious as is. Enjoy!

Until next time,
Ryann

Skinny Tomato Basil Bisque

High in taste, low in guilt. YUM!!!

Baby it’s cold outside again and you know what that means…more soup!

Now before the foodies out there get all riled up, I realize that a true “bisque” contains seafood, most commonly lobster or other shellfish. But I don’t like lobster and I figured that the creamy (yet still healthy!) base of this soup semi-justified the name. Plus, bisque just sounds fun and fancy so there you have it.

I was perusing Pinterest when this recipe jumped out at me. I had pretty much all of the ingredients on hand and it made my mouth water so I knew we had a winner. This one sounded pretty amazing too, so what I came up with is sort of a Frankenstein mix of both recipes.  

Since I can’t—in good conscience—call any dish “skinny” that’s dripping with cream and butter, I decided to make this recipe more waistline- and heart-friendly by using plain, nonfat Greek yogurt and leaving the butter out entirely. Yes, it still contains 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese. But it’s divided amongst several servings so it’s not too terrible. Both of the original recipes called for other veggies (celery, carrots, and onions) but I wanted to keep it simple so I stuck with the tomato-basil-garlic combo. I used chicken broth but if you want to make this soup vegetarian, swap the chicken broth for veggie broth and you’re good to go.  

I know I’ve been on a Crock Pot kick lately—I just can’t help it, it makes life SO simple!!!—but you can use a stock pot and simmer this on the stove just as easily. Take your pick. I’m sure both preparation methods are equally delicious.

Here’s what I came up with.

Skinny Tomato Basil Bisque
Serves 8

Ingredients:
Olive oil spray
2 cups tomatoes, diced (divided use, I used Roma)
1 cup fresh basil, shredded (divided use)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups plain nonfat or low-fat Greek yogurt
2 cups low-sodium tomato juice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3/4 cup parmesan cheese (shaved or shredded)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½-1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf (optional)

Directions:
Lightly spray a large stock pot or Crock Pot with olive oil spray.

Place 1 cup diced tomatoes, ½ cup basil, and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.

Place tomato/basil puree in pot. Add all remaining 1 cup of tomatoes, ½ cup shredded basil, and all other ingredients and stir well to combine. Cook on low (Crock Pot) for a minimum of 2 hours or on the stovetop over medium-low for the same amount of time. I did about 4 hours in the Crock Pot on low and then switched it to warm until we were ready to eat. Remove bay leaf prior to serving. 

Results:
I just finished a bowl of this delicious bisque as leftovers for lunch and, dare I say, I like it even better today? Don’t get me wrong, it was wonderful last night right out of the Crock Pot with the warm, crusty rosemary bread we enjoyed it with. But today, Wowza! For some reason, it tasted even better.

If you’re looking for a creamy, hearty, delicious soup—without the guilt!—this is the ideal recipe for you.

As always, your feedback is invaluable and I’d love to hear what you think. Please leave a comment on the bottom of this page or share your thoughts on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram (@RyannGroseclose), or any other social media outlet you’d like.

Until next time,
Ryann 

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Mmm-Mmm Good!

This weekend it was rainy and colder than usual here in Southern California. I know, I know…our idea of a “storm” is laughable to most of you in other parts of the country. But for us, when the temps start dropping into the 60s it’s clearly time to build a fire and bust out our winter coats.

There’s nothing better on a chilly day than a steaming, delicious bowl of soup. And this time of year, a hearty chicken noodle just may be the perfect meal. What could make this recipe even better? It’s made with a Crock Pot—the best kitchen gadget EVER.

I based my recipe on the one I found here. My healthy “swap”tions included omitting the extra salt and the corn, changing the egg noodles to whole wheat rotini, increasing the amount of vegetables and chicken broth, and adding minced garlic.

Here’s what I came up with.

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
9-10 cups chicken broth, divided use
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of chicken condensed soup
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup white onion, diced
1 cup green onions, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (I used meat from a whole rotisserie chicken)
1 (10-13.25-ounce) package whole wheat rotini or other whole wheat noodles *

*Be sure to check the labels on your pasta products. Real, unprocessed whole wheat noodles should have only one ingredient: durum whole wheat flour. (For an excellent overview of healthy grains—and 1,000 other awesome posts about eating healthy, unprocessed foods—visit this blog post. Lisa Leake is my idol…seriously.)

Directions:
Place 6 cups broth, condensed soup, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and pepper in the Crock Pot. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours.

Add cooked chicken and uncooked pasta, cover, and cook on low an additional 2-3 hours.

Add remaining 3-4 cups chicken broth (less broth for a thicker soup), cover, and cook on low until soup simmers.  Reduce heat to warm until ready to serve.

Results:
I used more noodles than the original recipe called for and they soaked up A LOT of the broth. That’s why I added so much additional broth once the noodles were cooked through. If you aren’t serving a crowd or don’t feel like having lots of leftovers, you could cut the amount of noodles in half and possibly eliminate the need to add extra liquid.

That being said, I wouldn’t change the way this soup turned out. It was savory, creamy, and the perfect meal for a chilly winter night. The hubs said it reminded him of the inside of a chicken pot pie. I’ll take that!

We’ve been trying to cut a few carbs around here but that all went out the window when I served this soup with the Cheddar and Green Chili Drop Biscuits I posted last month. It was totally worth the cheat.  

On a side note, we all know that when we are sick, chicken noodle soup always makes us feel better. TLC factor aside, there’s actual scientific studies out there (Chest, 2000) that suggest chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties and may well help alleviate upper respiratory tract symptoms.

So, whether you need a little piping hot soup to clear your stuffy head or you’re just craving a little old-fashioned comfort food, this delectable chicken noodle awesomeness may be just what the doctor ordered.

Until next time,
Ryann

Cheesy Sweet Potato and Leek Soup

The picture doesn't do it justice...this soup is SOOOOO good!!!

Well, friends, the holiday season is in full swing and you know what that means—we are all BUSY. There are gifts to purchase and wrap, decorating to be done, parties to attend…and that’s all on top of our normal hectic schedules. It’s may be the most wonderful time of the year, but this mama could seriously use a few more hours in the day to get things done.

Now more than ever, I’m thankful for easy recipes I can toss in the Crock Pot. And this time of year is perfect for slow cooker soups. When I saw this one on Pinterest I seriously couldn’t stop drooling. But I wanted to make a healthier version so I swapped the hash browns for sweet potatoes, ditched the butter and half and half, used all cream of portabella mushroom soup, and added leeks and chicken broth. It still contains a cup and a half of cheddar cheese but hey, you’ve gotta keep at least one of the naughty ingredients, right? Here’s what I came up with.

Cheesy Sweet Potato and Leek Soup
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
Olive oil spray
3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup leeks, chopped
3 cups of condensed cream of mushroom soup (about 2 standard cans)***
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded (you can use reduced fat cheese if you prefer)
2 cups chicken broth or stock
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper

***I used 3 boxes of Trader Joe’s Condensed Cream of Portabella Mushroom Soup but it’s seasonal so it may not be available for much longer.

Directions:
Lightly spritz Crock Pot with olive oil spray. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours or until sweet potatoes are tender and cooked through.

“Swap”tions:
You could easily make this a vegetarian dish by swapping the chicken broth for vegetable broth. You could also toss in a little cooked chicken if you wanted to add more protein.

Results:
All I have to say is YUMMO!!!! I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a big fan of mushrooms so it’s weird that I’m in love with a soup that uses cream of mushroom as a base but it’s true. And let’s face it; anything with cheddar cheese melted into it is bound to be delicious. The hubs, who doesn’t really care for sweet potatoes, was pleasantly surprised by how much he enjoyed this soup. So it’s an all-around winner at our house.

The best thing about this recipe is that soups tend to taste better the longer you simmer them. So set your Crock Pot on low and forget about it while you are dashing around town, wrapping gifts, or watching holiday movies.

The next time I make this, I may cut the chicken broth in half (use 1 cup instead of 2) for a little creamier consistency but honestly, it was great the way it was.

If you are a fan of easy, hearty, and tasty soups, this is the perfect recipe for you. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Until next time,
Ryann