Crockpot Chicken Soup For the Soul (Or a Cold)

Every year around this time, my immune system kicks into overdrive for its annual throw-down with my summer allergies. It usually begins with a week of an itchy sore throat, followed by several days of head congestion and general misery, then right before I decide how much Kleenex stock I’d like to purchase, it’s over and I forget all about it until the next August.

I’m on day seven of The Mold-Spore and Ragweed Battle of 2015, and can currently only breathe from one nostril. Which is super fun and not at all disorienting! Ugh.

I made it through last week with help from a lot of hot tea and honey, and daily trips to the Thai restaurant near the flower shop for steaming bowls of takeout chicken noodle soup with red chili sauce. Give me all the scalding liquids when my throat hurts, please and thank you.

I thought I’d try my hand at homemade pho over the weekend, but even the ‘simple’ version seemed daunting. So I went to the grocery store for some basic ingredients, and made a lazy girl’s crockpot chicken soup instead.

If you’re battling allergies or a cold, or just want something hearty and easy for dinner, this soup is maximum comfort with minimal effort. There’s no point in typing out a recipe, because it’s just. so. easy. Basically, throw all this stuff in your crockpot (adjust amounts for your serving size needs) and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the chicken is thoroughly done.

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cleaned really well so you don’t get any of those weird fatty bits in your soup)
• 3-4 cups chicken stock
• 3-4 cloves chopped fresh garlic
• A few handfuls of fresh ‘coin-cut’ carrots
• Diced celery
• Diced Scallions
• Uncooked potatoes, cubed (I used 3 small white sweet potatoes)
• A sliced lemon
• Ground pepper
• Old Bay seasoning (optional)

I put some fresh kale greens into bowls and ladled the hot soup on top — the broth quick-cooks the kale — and served it with fresh sourdough from the bakery. If you want chicken noodle soup, cook the noodles separately and add them when you’re ready to serve; it’s tricky to master the timing/liquid with noodles and a crockpot, so save yourself the headache. You probably have enough of those from the sinus pressure, bless your heart.