8 Healthy Soup Recipes: Chicken, Slow Cooker, and More (2024)

FAQs

What makes chicken soup so healthy? ›

Vegetables. The best chicken soup recipes are chock-full of veggies like carrots, celery and onions — all of which are rich in vitamins C and K, not to mention other antioxidants and minerals. Vitamin C is a nutrient your body needs to form blood vessels, cartilage, muscle and collagen in your bones.

That's because the low, slow style of cooking lets the flavors simmer together for hours, creating a much richer and more flavorful meal.

It is best to thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. Frozen pieces will take longer to reach a safe internal temperature and could possibly result in foodborne illness. Frozen or partially frozen foods can also cool everything else in the slow cooker.

Cold-poaching the chicken breasts, then removing them until the end of the cooking process, guarantees a perfectly tender and juicy texture. Using stock reinforces the flavor of the broth, creating a more deeply flavorful soup.

Known to all, chicken is considered to be a great source of protein and amino acids that are really good for the growth of muscles and other tissues. Hence, a bowl of chicken soup can be a great addition in your daily diet.

Consuming Chicken Soup strengthens the immune system, and we all can get benefit from it. On regular consumption, one can avoid cold, flu or other infections. It's rich in anti-inflammatory properties which helps reduce swelling as well.

Most appliances will automatically shut off after 20 or so hours on this setting, but you shouldn't leave food in a slow cooker for an extended length of time. The general rule of thumb is that 2-4 hours is the maximum length of time you can leave food in a slow cooker on warm.

Due to the nature of a slow cooker, there is no need to stir the food unless it specifically says to in your recipe. In fact, taking the lid off to stir food causes the slow cooker to lose a significant amount of heat, extending the cooking time required. Therefore, it is best not to remove the lid for stirring.

Editor's Tip: Can you overcook soup in a slow cooker? It's a common question—and the short answer is yes. Ingredients like veggies, pasta and rice can get very mushy if left in the slow cooker too long. Many meats will toughen, too.

Lansing, Michigan is home for the Crack Chicken. A great seasoning for all your favorite foods. Started in 2003, customers tried our famous chicken and came back for more. Their addiction to this delicious taste made them call it Crack Chicken, and that's how the name started, and cracked the food industry world.

How long does it take for chicken to cook in the crockpot? ›

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with plenty of salt and pepper. Cover your crock pot and cook chicken breasts on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Chicken is done when the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. Use chicken in your favorite recipes.

When cooking frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker on the high setting, it typically takes around 4 to 6 hours. Slow cookers vary in temperature, so it's essential to use a meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Add peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, poultry seasoning, basil, and parsley. Bone chicken; cut meat into bite-sized pieces and add to the pot. Simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors are well blended, about 90 minutes. Stir in pasta; cook until noodles are tender yet firm to the bite, 10 to 15 minutes.

You might consider using more umami-forward vegetables, such as mushrooms, that also pair well with chicken to tie together the richer flavors in the dish. Alternatively, vegetables like corn, peas, and tomatoes will bring out some sweeter notes to the soup.

In addition, chicken breast has less fat and can become dry (chewy or rubbery) if cooked for too long. Without moisture, the protein fibers in the chicken become elastic.

Renard et al. (2000) found that chicken soup inhibited the migration of neutrophils, thus showing anti-inflammatory activity.

Vegetable soup is one of the best soups to eat. Vegetable soup is made with potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans and green peas. The combined nutrition of each vegetable adds a great number of vitamins and minerals to your diet. Potatoes are a good source of potassium and carrots provide beta carotene.

7 smart tips for making a healthy soup

Use more vegetables in your soup than meats or grains. Add fresh herbs at the very end of cooking. Add milk to stocks to make a creamy soup. Add it after the vegetables are soft cooked.

Soups that have a low glycemic index, for example, mixed vegetable soup, lentil soup or chicken soup, and mushroom soup, are great for you if you wish to lose weight. Since these soups are low in calories and high in satiety, they prevent weight gain and help manage conditions like diabetes.