Crockpot Thai Coconut Chicken Soup Recipe

Crock-Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe

My sister and brother-in-law eat more Mexican food than anyone else I know. My bro-in-law is from Texas so it only makes sense that he'd be a fan and my sister-in-law, she just loves some Mexican food.  So it was not a big surprise when I went over to their house recently for dinner and they served up some Mexican-inspired white chicken chili, complete with cilantro.

My sister-in-law is like my mother-in-law in that they don't generally follow a recipe because they are good like that, so I knew I better ask her right away how she made it. She told me about cilantro paste which I had seen at the store before but hadn't tried. It tasted great in the chili, very fresh tasting and about 1/3 of the price of fresh too. Considering it's winter and all my fresh herbs are outside and frozen right now and will be until about June, I was sold. So I did buy some cilantro paste and recreated her chili so it's now on the books!

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 onion, diced
2 red peppers, diced
1 (4oz) can diced green chilies
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cups white corn
1/2 lime, juiced

2 (14.5oz) cans white beans

2 tsp cilantro paste

1/2 cup sour cream

Try it topped with diced avocado and crumbled tortilla chips! 

Directions

1. Place chicken, garlic, onion, red pepper, green chilies, cumin, lime juice, salt and garlic in a greased slow cooker. Pour chicken stock over top. Cook for 4hrs on low.

2. Remove chicken and shred. Place chicken back in Crock-Pot and stir in cream, lime juice, beans and corn. Heat on high for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Right before serving, stir in cilantro and sour cream. 

Spicy Thai Roasted Red Pepper Soup Recipe

The simple spicy sweetness gives this soup a complex flavor with very few ingredients. This soup is amazing over rice or with some crusty bread — perfect for a crisp fall day.

Ingredients
2 (12oz) jars roasted red peppers
1 large onion, chopped
1 small jalapeño, deseeded and chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 (14.5oz) can tomatoes
1 (13.5oz) can coconut milk


Directions
1. In your Crock-pot, add roasted red peppers (do not drain), onion, garlic, jalapeño, tomatoes (do not drain), coconut milk, sugar, salt, cayenne pepper, coriander, ginger and water. Simmer on low for 4 hours.

2. Strain out solids by pouring soup through a strainer into a bowl. Purée solids in a food processor or blender. Return to Crock-pot then spoon into bowls and serve warm.

Mediterranean Style Lentil Soup

I learned a little secret from the chef at one of my favorite Mediterranean restaurants in town. She puts a heavy dose of lemon juice in her lentil soup. Since then people have told me you can also use lime juice but I still prefer the lemon juice. I also use chicken noodle soup as a base vs. chicken broth. I don't know why, I like the noodles I guess. If you're not into it, you can use regular chicken broth instead and it's still delightful and filling. I use precooked lentils so I can whip this up quickly.

Ingredients
1 (20oz) package precooked lentils
1 can condensed chicken noodle soup
1/2 cup frozen spinach
10 baby carrots, sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 stalks celery, sliced
4 tbsp butter
2 cups water
1 lemon, juiced
Pita bread

Directions
1. Melt butter in pot over medium heat and saute garlic.

2. Add remaining ingredients to pot. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

3. Cut pita bread into triangles, toast and serve with lentil soup.

Creamy Crock-Pot Chicken & Dumplings Recipe

This is an excellent, easy recipe for creamy Crock-Pot chicken and dumplings that's made up of ingredients you'll likely already have on hand.

Ingredients
1 whole fryer chicken (or 4 large chicken breasts)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 onion, minced

1 bay leaf

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 bag crinkle cut carrots

About 6 cups water

2 cups chicken stock (created from cooking chicken)
1 (26oz) large can cream of chicken soup

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp celery seed

1 lrg package Pillsbury flakey buttery biscuits (dumplings)

Directions
1. Place chicken, onions, garlic, celery, carrots and bay leaf into crock pot and fill with water until chicken is covered or mostly covered.

2. Cook on high for 4 hours or until chicken is falling off the bone. Remove the whole chicken and let cool in a bowl.

3. Using a strainer placed over a large bowl, pour remaining Crock-Pot contents into the bowl using the strainer to separate out the solid ingredient from the chicken stock. Measure and return 2 cups of chicken stock to Crock-Pot. Stir in cream of chicken soup, pepper, garlic salt and celery seed. Turn Crock-Pot to high heat and cover.

4. Shred the cooled chicken, discarding the carcass, and return chicken to Crock-Pot. Add solid ingredients from the strainer back into the Crock-Pot. Stir gently.

5. Open biscuit dough and slice each biscuit in sixths. Place in crockpot pointy-side down. Cook on high 55-60 minutes or until all dumplings are firm to touch.

Serves: 6-8

Kathi Lipp's December 26th Chili Recipe

I asked Kathi Lipp (author of The "What's for Dinner?" Solution and The Christmas Project) for one of her family's favorite holiday recipes and she sent me this great idea for turning Christmas leftovers into a delicious post-Christmas chili. Throw it in bread bowl and it's a no-fuss dinner you can serve your holiday house guests (who may or may not have decided to overstay their welcome).

This recipe can be doubled or tripled, depending on how many people will be stopping by (or lingering).

Ingredients


3/4 lb. leftover chicken or turkey, shredded
1 cup onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-16 oz. can stewed tomatoes
1-16 oz. can kidney beans
1-16 oz. can tomato sauce
3 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. basil
1-6 oz. can tomato paste
Salt & pepper to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream

Directions
Kathi says "It's truly this easy": In a large saucepan, sauté onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Drain. Place in your Crock-Pot, along with the leftover chicken or turkey, un-drained tomatoes, drained kidney beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil, salt and pepper. Cook on low for at least four hours. Serve in a warm, toasted bread bowl topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream.


Serves: 4

Savory Tortellini and Sausage Soup Recipe

This is a great recipe that has spread like wildfire throughout my family. It's so flavorful and hearty, everyone always raves about it whenever it's made. I just made this yesterday when my aunt and cousin were in town for a visit and it came out better than I've ever had it. So figured it was a good time to post this one among the favorite family recipes. Here's how to make it yourself (it's easy):

What you need:
5 large carrots, sliced
5 stalks celery, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 packages Bob Evan's Italian Sausage
2-16oz bags frozen cheese tortellini
7oz fresh spinach leaves
8 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf

How to cook it:
1. Bring water to a boil and add chicken bouillon and bay leaf.

2. Brown sausage in a pan.

3. In a separate pan, sauté carrots in butter over medium heat. As the carrots soften, add celery then onions then garlic until each is softened.

4. Once cooked, add sausage; carrots; onions; and garlic to the broth. Add the tortellini and fresh spinach. Cook on low boil for 5 minutes.

5. Serve with fresh baked biscuits.

Serves 8-10

To serve in style, check out this set:
  

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup Recipe

This is one of my favorite fall meals to prepare because it's one of those meals I don't need to think about ahead of time and it only takes 30 minutes to cook. You can also throw everything into your Crock-Pot and cook it that way if you need to save time. This makes a lot of soup so you can save some for lunches or make it when you're having friends over!

1 package Bear Creek Soup Mix
4 large potatoes
1 white onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup diced ham
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp chives
1tbsp butter
Fresh cracked pepper to taste

*For a twist try parmesan instead of cheddar and fresh thyme instead of chives.

1. Peel and cut potatoes into bite-sized chunks, place in a large stock pot with 8 cups of water. Cover and boil for 15 minutes.
2. Sauté onion in butter until onions soften. Add diced ham, stirring occasion. Cook until onions are translucent and ham is lightly browned.
3. After 15 minutes, add Bear Creek Soup mix, onion, ham and remaining ingredients. Turn down to medium heat and cook for another 30 mins.
4. Serve topped with a sprinkle of cheese, ham and herbs if you're trying to impress!

Serves: 6-8

Things you'll need:
  

Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

This is so delicious and so easy it literally cooks itself! I've taken this to tailgates and also serve it for dinner regularly at our house. Everyone loves it and you can make it as spicy or as bland as your taste buds desire. Don't let the long list of ingredient intimiate you; it's all stuff you'll likely already have on hand.

Ingredients
3 large chicken breasts
8 cups water
1 small onion, sliced
1 (8oz) can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1 (8oz) can black or navy beans
1 package Bear Creek tortilla soup base

1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

For extra flavor:
1 lime (optional)
1 (4oz) can green chilies (optional)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Tortilla strips (salted)

Directions
Put all ingredients minus the sour cream and cheese into your Crock-Pot  After the chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove and shred it. Put the chicken back in the Crock-Pot; stir in the sour cream and cheese and then it's ready to serve. Flavor with fresh-squeezed lime juice to taste and top with tortilla strips.

Serves: 8

Things you'll need:
  

Curried Apple Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

This is a deliciously rich soup with a sweet, earthy flavor. I don't love butternut squash or apples particularly but together with the spices, some kind of magic happens and I end up really savoring this soup. I had some garam masala leftover from the Indian Butter Chicken recipe I made recently so I used that for a richer flavor but you can also use plain curry. It's warmth is perfect for a crisp fall day!

Ingredients
1 butternut squash, cubed
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
16oz chicken stock*
1 onion, chopped
1 potato
2 tsp minced garlic
2 cups apple sauce
1 tsp garam masala or curry
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream

*Vegetarians, substitute vegetable stock.

Directions
1. Place all ingredients, minus the sour cream, into a Crock-Pot and cook on low for 4hours.

2. Place cooked ingredients into a blender, add sour cream and purée.

Serves: 4-6

Bacon Potato Leek Soup Recipe

Here's a hearty soup with Irish roots that calls for simple ingredients to produce a really rich flavor. You can make this in a Crock-Pot as well, just prepare the bacon and leeks and add them to the remaining ingredients in a Crock-Pot and let sit for several hours until potatoes are tender. The soup is good chunky, but if you prefer it pureed you can use a hand beater or a blender to get the consistency you like.

Ingredients
8 white potatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 lb bacon
3 leeks, sliced
1/2 cup half & half
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
A hearty splash of Smithwick's Irish ale (more or less to taste)*
salt & pepper

*My husband snuck this in while I wasn't looking but it really adds some great flavor!

Directions

1. Peel and cube potatoes and place in a large stockpot with chicken broth. Boil until potatoes are tender.

2. Cut bacon into small chunks and cook until crispy. Drain and reserve 3-4 tbsp of grease.

3. Sautee leeks with the reserved bacon grease 8 to 10 minutes or until translucent.

4. When the potatoes are ready, stir in leeks, half & half, sour cream, beer and bacon. Use a hand beater to puree slightly. Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve hot topped with cheddar cheese.

Serves: 4-6

Things you'll need:
  

French Onion Soup w/ Marsala Wine

The marsala wine and sugar are my secret ingredients to this french onion soup. Trust me it's worth the trip to the liquor store to get the wine. And with the left over wine you can try this great chicken marsala recipe recipe from allrecipes.com. Also one of my favorite dishes! I pretty much like anything cooked in wine, really. So, if you're a french onion soup lover, like me, then you will really enjoy this. Also, as with almost all of our recipes, its super easy to make... here's what you need:

1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups onions, sliced
3 (14 oz) cans beef broth
1/2 cup marsala wine
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 heaping tbsp sugar
2 bags Texas Toast croutons
8 slices provolone cheese
2 slices Swiss cheese, diced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter with olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and stir continually until translucent. Add beef broth, marsala and thyme. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add sugar and season with salt and pepper. Be careful not to over salt!

Ladle soup into oven-safe* bowls and place a handful of croutons in each. Sprinkle parmesan and swiss cheese and layer 2 slices of provolone on top. Place bowls on cookie sheet and broil in the preheated oven until cheese bubbles and browns.

Servings: 4 large bowls

If you don't have oven-safe bowls here are some super cute ones to invest in. If you can swing it, the Le Creuset bowls will last forever because they are enamel. The Signature Housewares bowls are cute but are just glazed so there's a chance they'll crack over time after a lot of use.

Split Pea Soup Recipe

Aaron's a big fan of infusing flavors in a slow cooker and I really like the concept of "set it and forget it." This is a recipe you could set in the morning and come home to a ready dinner. Just add some extra water if you plan to leave it all day.

1 lb dried split peas

2 can chicken broth

1 Vadalia onion, diced

2 cups ham, diced

1/4 cup carrots, diced

1 tbsp butter

7-8 cups water

Salt & Pepper to taste

Add split peas, carrots, chicken broth and water to crock pot. Saute onions and ham in butter and add to pot. Cook on low 4-8hrs, add water and stir periodically as needed.

Serves: 6-8

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Everyone knows that chicken noodle soup is the best when you're sick. But did you know that there's actually a scientific reason why chicken noodle soup is good for you when you're sick? Doctor's say that "Chicken soup inhibits inflammation of the cells in the nasal passage, reducing the symptoms of a cold. The hot soup also promotes mucus secretions that soothe sore throats and coughs and trap bacteria."

Here's a recipe we make a lot around the our house when someone's feeling under the weather:

Ingredients

1 rotisseri chicken, picked
8 cups chicken broth

1 large onion, chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

4 ribs celery, sliced

1 1/2 cups parsnips, sliced

1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced

2 tbsp parsley

1/2 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf

1 package egg noodles

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, place chicken, chicken broth, celery, carrots, parsnips, onion, parsley, pepper and bay leaf and bring to a low boil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add egg noodles and cook another 10 mins then serve.

Serves: 6-8