Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Potato Soup

A light and hearty potato soup recipe with chunk of chicken breast and lots of vegetables.
This recipe contains chicken breasts (boneless skinless), bacon, onions, garlic (fresh), potatoes (russet), carrots, celery, chicken broth, thyme (dried), parsley (fresh), salt, black pepper
6 - 8 Servings
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 5 hr +
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
- 4 oz. bacon, chopped (could be low fat turkey bacon)
- 1 whole large onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 clove(s) garlic cloves, minced
- 3 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
- 2 cup(s) carrots, sliced
- 2 cup(s) celery, sliced
- 8 cup(s) chicken broth
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/3 cup(s) fresh chopped parsley
- 1 - 3 ds. salt to taste
- 1 - 3 ds. pepper to taste
Instructions:
- 1. Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until brown, then add in the onions and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes to soften. (If using turkey bacon, cook in a nonstick skillet.) Pour the onions mixture into the crock of a large 6 quart slow cooker.
- 2. Place the chicken breast on top of the onions. Add the sliced potatoes, carrots, celery, chicken broth, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Place the lid on the slow cooker. Turn on high and cook for 8-12 hours, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are extremely soft. (Check the chicken at 7 hours. If it’s cooked through, cover and refrigerate until the potatoes are tender and breaking apart. If you happen to have a faster slow cooker, you do not want to overcook the chicken.)
- 3. Remove the chicken breast from the crock. Stir the potato soup vigorously to break up the potatoes and thicken the broth. (You can make it extra creamy by partially pureeing the soup with an immersion blender. Or place 1 1/2 cups of the soup in a regular blender, puree, then stir back into the soup.) Shred or chop the chicken and add it back to the slow cooker along with fresh parsley. Stir well. Serve warm topped with low fat cheese if desired!