This soup is made all in the same bowl of a slow cooker, so your mess is less! If you’d like to use a dutch oven or other large pot, that will work as well, but you’ll need to check on things more often, temping the chicken as it simmers.
Chicken Soup with Greens in the Slow Cooker Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, cut into coins
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
- Fresh sprig of thyme, or a tablespoon of dried thyme.
- Whole chicken, or bone-in pieces that constitute about a whole chicken
- 1 big bunch of kale, chard, or collard greens
- (Optional) Pasta, rice, or barley (if a grain, stick to about 1 cup)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Add onions, carrots, garlic, and thyme to the slow cooker bowl, adding the whole chicken or pieces on top. Fill with water until the chicken is fully submerged. Cook for 5 hours on the high setting.
- Keep the hardy greens on the stem, trim and rinse thoroughly, then tie with butcher’s twine. At the 5-hour mark, check the temperature of the chicken and make sure it’s reached 165 degrees. Remove and allow to cool until able to shred. In the new space in the slow cooker bowl, add the greens and proceed to cook for about 30 minutes. You’ll also add the carbohydrate option (ie, pasta) at this 5-hour mark, if desired.
- Remove the greens, untie the twine, and add to a high-powered blender, blending until smooth. Place the shredded chicken back in the slow cooker, and then mix in the pureed greens.
- Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, roasted Brussels sprouts, or marinated red onions (or all three!) and serve as a cozy winter main soup.