Saturday, March 3, 2012

"Creamy" Crockpot Chicken and Tomato Soup

This cold, wet weather has me craving some serious comfort food. I love crock pot meals because there is usually minimal effort for maximum results. As I like to say, the juice is worth the squeeze.

This recipe is so simple it's stupid. You don't even need to thaw your chicken breasts before dumping them in the crock pot. I assembled this on Friday morning and was too un-caffinated to take pictures, but crock pot meals aren't the prettiest anyway. As always, this recipe makes a LOT! Save a couple of meals worth, and freeze the rest for nights next week that you don't want to cook. Bonus points if you freeze them in individual servings. Easy!

"Creamy" Crockpot Chicken and Tomato Soup

8 frozen skinless boneless chicken breast
2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 14 oz. can of coconut milk (full fat), shake before opening can to avoid separation
2 14 oz. can diced tomatoes and juice
2 cups of chicken broth
1 small can of tomato paste
1/2 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Put all the above ingredients into the crock-pot, cook for 9 hours on low. After 9 hours take two forks and shred the chicken, set the crock-pot on warm till ready to serve (making sure to taste it before serving to make sure there is enough salt and pepper)
Recipe adapted from Everyday Paleo

I ate mine on top of a bed of spinach, what else is new? I really try to sneak some into every meal if I can!
Don't mind the sloppy sides of the bowl, this was my second serving. I was so hungry when I got home from RNCF I scarfed down a bowl without taking any pictures. I had to have a second bowl just for the sake of the blog, right? :)


81 comments:

  1. Uff, this chicken looks fantastic an I love that you serve it with fresh salad. Looks nice and really delish!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This looks great and I like the addition of the spinach... THANKS

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think I am going to make this over the weekend- throwing the spinach INTO the soup! I wonder when I should put it in... off to research!
    I know I'm definitely going to try it though. This might be a silly question, but does the coconut milk make this "coconutty" in flavor? I've only cooked with coconut oil and notice it tends to add a hint of flavor to things. I would love to add more Paleo recipes to our everyday after trying and failing at it last year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes it does. I didn't care for the coconut flavor. Next time I'll use more broth or just water in it's place.

      Delete
    2. I would blend the spinach into the tomato sauce of choice & add it that way. Otherwise adding it after the fact is the best as it won't wilt & it's vibrant contrast colour does the best for presentation. ;)

      Delete
  4. were your chicken breasts completely frozen? my experience with crockpot chicken breasts tends to be less than favorable, but I want to keep trying! is that the secret - use frozen chicken breasts?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Krista, I use frozen chicken breasts, throw in a jar of pace picante sauce and thats it for 7-8 hours and it is perfect every time! We make a side of Mexican rice and stuff the shredded chicken in corn tortillas- it is perfect!!!! So yes it has always been a success to use frozen chkn breasts it turns out super tender!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have done this as well but I put a package of taco seasoning in with it.

      Delete
  6. Is there an alternative to adding coconut milk? I don't like coconut milk... could I just add more sauce and broth? Trying to cut the calories... Would yogurt work or would it churn?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Can I substitute evaporated milk for the coconut milk?

    ReplyDelete
  8. When you say tomato sauce, do you mean a jar or marinara (like for spaghetti)? Or do you actually mean canned tomato sauce?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mine didn't come out as tomato-y as yours...maybe you meant tomato sauce as in spaghetti topping rather than just regular old tomato...hmmmm

    ReplyDelete
  10. Can I use greek yogurt instead of coconut milk? Has anyone tried?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Made this today. It is so good! I used a can of tomato sauce for the 1/2 jar and it came out prefect.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I made it today on this snowy day in VA. Wow! Yummy and rich! I'm scared to ask, but how fattening is this?

    ReplyDelete
  13. This was delicious!
    People...don't skip the spinach!

    ReplyDelete
  14. just got the ingredients to do this tomorrow, should i put my chicken in the freezer or is not frozen also ok?

    ReplyDelete
  15. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have made this several times now and it is TO DIE FOR! My family inhales it. Best part? It's completely clean . Bravo

    ReplyDelete
  17. does anyone know if coconut milk in the can is the same as the cartoon? unsweetened but full fat? thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Coconut milk in the can is NOT the same as the carton. Can't wait to try this recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Would you still cook it for 9 hours if you cut the recipe in half? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you could always cook the whole recipe and then freeze half, the chicken will freeze well.

      Delete
  20. I Want to know the same thing! I'm only cooking for 2

    ReplyDelete
  21. I don't cook with anything coconut ever.... but this recipe looks too good... is the coconut flavour very dominant?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Delicious!!!!! Does anyone have an accurate number of servings? Trying to figure out the calories in this recipe. Will post when I figure it out!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Do you cook this on high or low in the crock pot for 9 hours?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Looks like she said "low" above. I almost missed that too ;)

      Delete
  24. I made this without the coconut milk and used evaporated milk instead,and used spaghetti sauce then added a handful of wild rice 1 hr before serving It was wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I've never froze meals - what do you freeze soups like this in? Thanks! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've frozen soups in Ziploc bags. Just let it cool before you put it in.

      Delete
  26. this was good. but the reality that people want to make this much is false. you should give instructions for a normal serving. 8 chicken breasts? i'm not rich! only need two, thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can do the whole recipe and freeze some, or cut the recipe in half. My family would use the whole recipe and eat it for lunches through the week.

      Delete
    2. The reality is that I don't enjoy cooking so I make HUGE batches and freeze it. A recipe that allows for that is like finding a valuable gemstone. Your reality is not mine. If you don't like the size of the recipe, divide it by four. Easy peasy.

      Delete
  27. This was really good! I added mushrooms and cabbage for extra substance. I also used one cup of beef broth and one cup of chicken broth. I left the tomato sauce out and added tobasco sauce for a little bite. I will definitely make this again!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I am trying this tonight. Yum! I think I will add kale instead of spinach. Let you know how it turns out!

    ReplyDelete
  29. made this tonight for myself...i cut it in half but still have leftovers--4 chicken breasts, 1 can coconut milk, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 cup chicken broth. and its FABULOUS!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How long did u cook it for half the recipe? Still 9 hours?

      Delete
  30. What if I use leftover rotissire chicken; does it need to cook so long?

    ReplyDelete
  31. I made this for myself (I'm doing South Beach) and figured my family would make something else for themselves. They gave it a try and everyone loved it! I'm making my second batch tonight because it was such a success!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I made this for dinner last night - holy beans. It's SO good! I asked my husband if it was good enough to make again... he asked if I could make it at least once a week. Thanks for sharing this!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Delish!! It has my hubby and 2 year old going back for more and even got better the next day for lunch! Thanks for the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  34. I made this last night, total success! I made half the recipe and my chicken breast were already thawed. I ended up cooking it for 6 hours on low. I would probably make more of the liquid next time, just because I like the chicken to soup ratio that way. I just finished it off for lunch.... very filling. Thanks for a great and super easy recipe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I have non-frozen chicken as well, going to try this today!!!!

      Www.facebook.com/KHWellness

      Delete
  35. This is THE BEST soup ever... when I don't have some on hand I find myself CRAVING it!! Some tweaks I made (because I'm a LAZY cook) I omitted the onion because I didn't have any, used light coconut milk from the can, can of tomato sauce and added a tablespoon of red pepper flakes, not even sure if red pepper flakes are paleo... the red pepper flakes add a teeny tiny amount of heat that is barely there, but enough to get that flavor punch. Not sure how the original straight from the recipe tastes, but the stuff that I ended up with is AMAZING and super filling. I usually put a cup of baby kale in a bowl, pour a cup of hot soup over it and let it sit for a minute to wilt the kale just a bit and it is SO GOOD! Plus it is easy to freeze in individual containers to take for lunches- by the time lunch comes around it is thawed enough to microwave.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I love love love this recipe.
    I was on the Candida diet earlier this year and made this soup several times. It's so easy, especially for a college student to throw together in the morning and it's so delicious.

    A small tweak that I've made is to pull out the chicken once it's done, and take at least half of the "chunky" soup (tomatoes, onions, etc) and throw it in the blender to make the soup a bit more smooth and creamy, but you still have a hearty soup at the end of the day. So wonderful. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  37. My family really enjoyed this, much to everyone's surprise! We are usually not tomato soup eaters, but we all devoured this. I did link to this recipe on my blog, and I used a photo, with a link to you under the photo. I didn't include the recipe on my post so that readers will have to come here--you deserve the traffic! Thanks for sharing this recipe. http://www.asmanyasgiven.com/2014/01/the-only-pins-that-matter.html

    ReplyDelete
  38. Here's the link to the recipe on everydaypaleo.com: http://everydaypaleo.com/another-budget-friendly-paleo-meal-by-erika-creamy-chicken-tomato-crockpot-soup/

    ReplyDelete
  39. Just put it in the crock pot this morning. Looks like it will be wonderful! I accidentally bought Coconut cream instead of coconut milk so I only used about 3/4 of one can. I love the thought of eating it over spinach. Can't wait for dinner tonight and the next week of lunch :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. Can you figure out the nutrition facts for this recipe? I don't know how to put it in My Fitness Pal. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  41. This is a good site for calculating nutrition data:
    http://nutritiondata.self.com/mynd/myrecipes/welcome?returnto=/mynd/myrecipes

    ReplyDelete
  42. I made this soup last week and the coconut flavor is so faint that it isn't even an issue! I love coconut but with 2 cans of coconut milk in this I was concerned it would taste too coconutty:) Not the case at all, it was delicious, tastes like something you would get at a high end restaurant. Delicious! I do wonder though, since coconut milk is so high in calories, if I could cut the calories using Almond milk. Next time I make this I may try that, since I am always calorie conscious:)

    ReplyDelete
  43. Made it just like recipe suggested. Had it on top of grits. My family absolutely loved it!!

    ReplyDelete
  44. It's highly risky to use frozen chicken breasts in a Crockpot because the temperatures in the crock never get hot enough to kill the bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses. The recipe sounds delicious, but I think I'll cook my chicken first, or at least thaw it out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not true. Crockpots heat food from all sides. With direct heat, steam, and lengthy cooking crockpots kill bacteria! Slow cookers heat only from the bottom and are recommended only for soups as they do not usually cook whole meats fast enough or well enough to kill bacteria. There is a distinct difference between the two devices.

      Delete
  45. so, how many servings is this?

    ReplyDelete
  46. I made this recipe for dinner tonight. It turned out amazing. Thank you so much for sharing!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  47. What brand of "Italian Seasoning" do you use? Is it organic and gluten free? If not what could I substitute? Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
  48. Unclear what 1/2 jar means? Jar of spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce (which is canned, not in a jar), and what size of a jar?

    ReplyDelete
  49. What does "1/2 jar of tomato sauce" refer to? I have used canned tomato sauce but never seen it in a jar. I have used pasta sauce in a jar but can't imagine using pasta sauce? What size jar are you referring to?

    ReplyDelete
  50. This sounds and looks like an amazingly delicious soup, and I'm going to make it this weekend; since I work midnights, and sleep during the day, it'll make the house smell great, and will make for terrific lunches for my three work nights each of the next two weekends. Hospital food on midnight shift is never good, so this will be most welcome. Love the idea of putting spinach with it, but I'm going to put the spinach over mashed potatoes, then the soup on top of it all; Bob Evans "bowls," you have nothing on THAT combo, LOL!!

    ReplyDelete
  51. This soup is looking so delicious. How can we miss to make this cream chicken and tomato soup at home.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Approximately how many lbs is 8 chicken breasts? i have 2 lbs in the freezer. Is that about right or would I need to adjust the recipe?

    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  53. Just made this last night, super easy and tasty! A few changes I made:
    1-I halved the recipe
    2-I used 2% evaporated milk instead of coconut milk
    3-I added a splash of half & half
    4-When it was on warm I tasted it and thought it needed a little more kick, so I added some California Garlic Salt to it.
    5-After eating half a bowl I was inspired to add some chopped up celery to it, this was a great choice! I personally prefer raw veggies to cooked so adding after was great.

    Maybe with some leftovers I'll try adding some fresh jalepeno slices. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  54. hmmm thats nice. i have a list of Crock Pot Chicken Breast Recipes somebody will give a try?

    ReplyDelete
  55. hmmm thats nice. i have a list of Crock Pot Chicken Breast Recipes somebody will give a try?

    ReplyDelete
  56. What do you think about adding some red curry paste?

    ReplyDelete
  57. My super picky son even loved it! (pulled the chicken out and made it into a taco for him). Daughter loved it as soup. Easy enough to add some non-paleo toppings for those that want them :)

    ReplyDelete
  58. why full fat coconut milk...will it work with low or non fat Coconut Milk?

    ReplyDelete
  59. Replies
    1. I don't know exactly how many servings, but it's a lot! A full crockpot worth of soup, and it's a very hearty soup with lots of chicken so it's very filling. :)

      Delete
  60. 3 Researches PROVE Why Coconut Oil Kills Belly Fat.

    The meaning of this is that you actually get rid of fat by eating Coconut Fat (including coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut oil).

    These 3 studies from major medicinal journals are sure to turn the traditional nutrition world around!

    ReplyDelete
  61. Hmmmm.....I was so excited to try this recipe based on picture and great reviews. I halved the recipe and used one can 15oz of tomato sauce bc not sure what the half jar was suppose to be. I peaked into the crockpot and it smells very coconutty and thick. I was hoping not to be able to smell or taste the coconut. Wish it was more tomatoey like the picture.

    ReplyDelete
  62. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  63. I love this soup! This time it seems a bit thin. Any suggestions?

    ReplyDelete
  64. I have done this recipe for years! The first time I was home sick with Bronchitis and it was so soothing and made me feel better! I don't do the 9 hour crockpot thing, I use my Cuisinart cast iron dutch oven, chicken is as tender in 2 hours as it is cooking all day in a crockpot!.

    ReplyDelete