Easy Crock Pot Veggie Soup

Was not feeling great this weekend, decided to make something seriously easy that might make me feel better. After sending my poor husband to get a few things at the grocery store, decided to make this. I have made this many times and I change out the ingredients to make it a little different each time, so feel free to omit veggies you do not like, or add whatever you may have on hand.


As you can tell, most ingredients are prepped, minimizing the work. There are suggestions on optional ingredients at the end.

*Note: This can be made in your crock pot or stove top. Equally as easy either way.

Ingredients:

Carrots, 1/2 small bag of petite prepped or 3 carrots sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 bag fresh cole slaw (thinly sliced cabbage-from the prepped salad section of your store)
1 can diced tomatoes (about 14 oz)
1/2 cup rice (regular, not instant)
scallions, sliced
2 tbsp garlic
1 can tomato paste (6-8 oz)
2 large containers chicken stock or water (about 6 cups)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano, or italien seasoning
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp Bells no salt seasoning

Directions:
Clean and prep veggies, place in crockpot. Add rice on top.
In a separate bowl, mix broth, tomato paste and seasonings. Wisk to blend. Pour over veggies.
Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6-7 hours. I would maybe give it a stir half way through.

Options:

Any and all veggies can be changed out. In the past I have used a handful of frozen green beans, corn, peas, minced onion, spinach (already chopped in the frozen form), zucchini or summer squash. I would suggest choosing your favorites and to keep in mind not to overload it so it remains a soup rather than a stew.

Make it Mexican!
Add a handful of frozen corn and some red kidney beans (canned, rinsed). Replace the oregano and Bells with 1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix (or your own blend).

Make it Greek!
Use frozen chopped spinach instead of the cabbage, replace oregano and Bells with 1/2 tsp clove and 1 tsp cumin.

Make it Indian!
Instead of oregano and Bells, use curry or garam masala (maybe 2 tsp, depending the intensity you want). Top with a dollop of plain yogurt when serving.

Make it Asian!
Adding 1/4 cup rice vinegar,  2 or 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and a few dashes of hot sauce makes this taste like hot & sour soup. I would taste it to see if you have the right amount of hot sauce and vinegar, to get the intensity you prefer. Some people like it intense, some - not so much.

Crock Pot Morrocan Chicken

The Ultimate Crock-Pot Crock-Star(tm) 1st Prize Winning Recipe.
Savory with a touch of sweetness, this dish has international flair while using ingredients found at your local grocery store. It is crock pot easy to boot. Set it up in the morning and let it cook all day, then come home to the heavenly smell and a warm dinner ready to serve.  


Ingredients:

4 medium carrots, sliced
1 large onion, halved and sliced
8 chicken thighs, skin removed
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 cups white wine or chicken broth
6-8oz tomato paste (1 can)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Place carrots and onions in slow cooker first. Add chicken to slow cooker. Top with apricots and raisins. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, spices, garlic, lemon juice, tomato paste and wine. Whisk to combine. Pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or until chicken is tender. Serve with rice.

Optional: chopped dates or figs would work well with or instead of the raisins and dried apricot.

Crock Pot Chicken Stew (2 for 1 meal)

This meal is easy to prepare, delicious, and leaves enough to make another meal. Even the bones can be used to make chicken stock!

Ingredients:

Whole chicken, 4-5 lbs
water
3 large potatoes, diced large
3-4 carrots, sliced 3/4 inch
1 celery stalk, sliced 1/2 inch
1 large onion, diced large
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 teaspoons each:
     onoin powder
     Bells Poultry Seasoning (no salt version)

Preparation:

• Wash off chicken and remove the neck and gizzards sometimes found inside. Place chicken in crock pot, breast side down to keep it moist.
• Add potatoes, carrots, celery and onion, placing them around the chicken.
• Mix seasonings and cornstarch together and sprinkle over the chicken and veggies.
• Add enough water to crockpot to cover chicken about 2/3 of the way.
• Cover and set crockpot on high for 4 hours (or low for 6-7 hours)

When chicken is done, turn off the crockpot and gently remove just the chicken and set aside to cool. Removing the chicken must be done gently since it will be ready to fall apart. If bones do fall apart into the stew, try to pick out the bones.

Once cooled, remove skin and discard. (the dog usually gets some of this)
Shred the chicken breast and remove meat from the remainder of the chicken.
Take about 1/2 the shredded meat and put back into the stew, give it a stir.
Ready to eat!

*See tips below for making a stock from the bones.

Meal # 2:
Use remaining shredded chicken for another recipe, here are some suggestions:

• mix shredded chicken with BBQ sauce for BBQ shredded chicken, good on a bun or with a side of mashed sweet potato or fries. Make sure to get gluten free (if you need that) bread if you decide on a sandwich.
• fill a taco or lettuce leaf, add a little cheese and salsa, for a healthy, quick meal.
• great on pizza, in quesadillas, soups or for chicken salad. just keep in mind your health needs in those recipes

Meal # 3!

Keep the neck/gizzards/bones, those make great stock for soups and stews. Even if you do not have enough time today, these can be frozen and used at a later date.

I use my favorite pan to make my broth. It is large, about 8 quart, and has a straining pan inside. Just put the chicken bones, gizzards, neck, and fill with water to cover. Bring to boil and let boil for at least an hour. I also put in scraps such as carrot ends, onion skins that we normally would not put into a recipe, but can add lots of flavor. (I learned this from the Frugal Gourmet, do you all remember him!). In the end I lift out my straining pan, this takes out all the bones and scraps and leaves a flavorful stock.

Once done, let cool.

• Refrigerate for use in the next day or two, or put into plastic container into your freezer, it will keep for at least 3 months this way.
• If you like to use small portions of stock at a time, freeze into ice cube trays. Once frozen, remove from the trays and store in a freezer safe storage bag. You will be able to use just the amount you need for any recipe.

This stock can be used for soups, stews, gravies and anything else you can think of. Boil potatoes or veggies in stock for extra flavor.