Crockpot Chicken Soup

I only had to work about a half of the day today, so I decided to be super-productive around the house when I got done, and I started by getting some dinner in the crockpot before I started cleaning the house. I wanted some kind of soup since it's been so cold out, but I didn't want anything too heavy. So, I decided to try out some chicken noodle soup, minus the noodles.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

• 5 large carrots, chopped
• 5 uncooked, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped
• about 2-3 cups celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1-2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water

I chopped up all of the ingredients, then put everything in the crockpot and cooked it on high for about 5 hours. I definitely recommend adding a bit of salt, especially if you have low-sodium broth, just to add some flavor, if you're not too concerned about sodium. I did not add any because my mother watches her sodium intake, but if I were making the soup for just myself and Chad, I would add a bit more salt. And as far as the herbs and seasonings are concerned, add as much as you like! I couldn't find any shallots at the grocery earlier, or I would have added those, as well. This recipe is pretty versatile, and it really just depends on your taste preferences. It's always nice to have dinner ready in the crockpot when you've had a busy day, though, and that's definitely what I was going for this evening!

The soup is healthy, but that grilled cheese? Not so much. But I find it nearly impossible to have soup without grilled cheese! It's always been a weakness for me.

Hopefully tomorrow (and the next few days) I will have some more recipes to post. I always go crazy with baking over the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks!

Andrea