Let’s talk comfort food — Warm, tasty goodness that simultaneously quenches your hunger and your nostalgia. Today I’ve got a super simple recipe that you can set and forget in your slow cooker, leaving you with a nutritionally dense dinner to accompany that post work Netflix binge.
As you shop for this slow cooker creation, or any recipe for that matter, consider the ingredients provided as a rough estimate. You’ll see in a lot of our recipes “ranges” for key ingredients. For good reason, nature doesn’t churn out russet potatoes that weigh in at precisely the same mass each and every time. Similarly, not all leeks are created equal and so on. I would encourage you to get just a bit more than you need and doctor down or up accordingly based off the instructions below.
You’ll see the recipe calls for cleaning your leeks, an important part of cooking with greens. I’ve included a link in the ingredient list that has directions to help you perform the task. Additionally, I highly encourage you use fresh thyme. Picking the leaves off can be tedious; however, simply rub your thumb and index finger against the “grain” of the sprig (pictured to the right) and the leaves should come off in greater number that way. If you’re avoiding dairy, feel free to leave the milk out, once blended it only adds to the recipe, it’s absence won’t be too sorely missed.
I want to know how the process went for you! Join the conversation on Facebook and tell us what you thought. Cheers and happy cooking!
“EASY SLOW COOKER POTATO LEEK SOUP WITH CHICKEN”
Ingredients:
2+ lb russet potatoes (three to four big ones)
2-3 large leeks, chopped (greens removed and leeks cleaned – how to clean leeks)
3-4 chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)
6 cups chicken broth or homemade stock
2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (stems removed)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp black pepper, coarse ground
2 tsp salt
½ cup whole milk or half and half (optional)
2 Tbsp green onions, chopped (for garnish)
Directions:
• Process your vegetables by skinning and cutting potatoes into 1″ cubes and cleaning your leeks, removing the darker greens and the root. Reference the link above for assistance.
• Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker in the order above. The six cups of stock should cover your potatoes, leeks, and chicken. If not, add additional water/stock to barely cover.
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until potatoes are fork tender and chicken is done.
• Remove the bay leaf and discard. Also remove the chicken and shred using two forks
• Puree the potato leek mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. You can also ladle the mixture into a blender and puree until the consistency desired.
• Add the shredded chicken back to the mixture and stir into the soup.
• Serve topped with diced green onions and salt and pepper to taste. ENJOY!
-Written by Taylor Gish
