Crock Pot Chicken Stew

Pull out your slow cooker for this hearty, healthy dinner recipe. You’ll love to warm up with a bowl of Crock Pot Chicken Stew on a cool evening!

Yesterday was the first day in as long as I can remember that I took a full-on sick day. I came down with a bad cold and was in bed from 8am until 2pm when I had to drag myself up to pick up the kids. I should probably reveal that my “desk” is actually sitting on my bed with my laptop, so I guess this wasn’t completely out of the ordinary. This time I was under the covers in my PJs though, so that qualifies as a sick day.

When lunchtime came around, I was happy that I had made this chicken stew in my slow cooker the night before. It is just as good leftover, and hot chicken stew is just right for nursing a sore throat. If you can eat bread, it would be extra good with some crusty sourdough for dipping.

I hope you don’t mind that I used onion soup mix as a seasoning shortcut in this recipe. I try to stick to less processed ingredients, but I had a packet of soup mix leftover from those Cheeseburger Boats, and I thought it would be a good flavor for this stew. If you don’t want to use that ingredient, you could add a diced onion and a few other spices to your liking.

Speaking of customizing this recipe, you can add whatever vegetables you like! I signed up for another local produce delivery service, so I had fresh kale, sweet potatoes, and carrots on hand. If you want to use white potatoes and green beans or whatever other vegetable substitutions or additions you’d like, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the result. I always think you should make my recipes to suit your tastes, especially when it comes to picking your favorite vegetable additions. I do hope you make and enjoy this easy soup recipe!

If you’re in the market for a slow cooker, here’s a link to the one I use. (This is an affiliate link, so if you make a purchase on Amazon after clicking it, I’ll earn a very small commission at no additional cost to you.)

Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker With Temperature Probe, 6-Quart

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Crock Pot Chicken Stew

This crock pot chicken stew is loaded with lean chicken and healthy veggies like kale sweet potatoes! It's a perfect slow cooker dinner recipe for cool days.

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Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

6 hours

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1 packet dry onion soup mix
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup uncooked barley
• 1/2 pound sweet potatoes peeled and diced
• 2 large carrots peeled and sliced
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 slices bacon
• 10 ounces kale washed and chopped (I usually use bagged, pre-cut kale.)
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar (not seasoned rice vinegar)
• salt and pepper to taste

Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 6 hours Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 6 ounces tomato paste 1 packet dry onion soup mix 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 cup uncooked barley 1/2 pound sweet potatoes peeled and diced 2 large carrots peeled and sliced 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 slices bacon 10 ounces kale washed and chopped (I usually use bagged, pre-cut kale.) 2 cups water 2 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar (not seasoned rice vinegar) salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. In your crock pot, stir together chicken broth, tomato paste, soup mix, and garlic powder. Add barley, sweet potatoes, carrots, chicken, and bacon.
2. Add chopped kale, and pour in water. Try to push the kale down to be mostly covered with water, but it will shrink down as it cooks. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 8-10 hours. (See note for recommendations for longer cooking times.)
3. Before serving, remove bacon slices and discard. Remove chicken breasts and shred meat with two forks.
4. Return shredded chicken to slow cooker. Add vinegar, and stir.
5. Season with salt and pepper to your liking, and serve with hot sauce for added heat if desired.

Recipe Notes

If you want to cook this stew for 8-10 hours, I recommend using 1 1/2 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. (Remove the skin and bones when you shred the meat.)

Looking for something besides soup to make in your slow cooker? Try one of these tasty recipes!