Having one of those days when you wish dinner would just about cook itself? Not possible, of course. Instead of turning to those take-out menus, you may want to give this a try. Add a green salad and some crusty bread to this Slow-Cooker Chicken Soup With Bacon & Potatoes and you’ll end up with a hearty meal. With very little effort at that typically crazy dinner-hour time of day.
This isn’t one of those kind of dishes where you dump everything into your slow cooker in the morning and forget about it until dinnertime. It actually is finished in less than five hours but after the initial prep, it’s pretty much hands off. With the exception of adding the potatoes halfway through.
What you’ll need to get started…
- Center-cut bacon slices – Diced. When cutting sliced bacon into small chunks, it can be helpful to place the bacon in the freezer for a short time before chopping.
- Bone-in chicken thighs – Skinned. Chicken thighs are recommended here rather than chicken breasts. Organic, if possible. The thighs impart a natural richness and tend to stay tender & delicious during the cooking process.
- Herbes de Provence – Herbes de Provence is a French herb blend from the Provence region, typically containing dried herbs such as thyme, rosemary, savory, marjoram, and oregano. The specific blend can vary but it always adds aromatic flavor with the distinctive taste of the Mediterranean.
- Leeks – Thinly sliced, white & light green parts only. Leeks resemble large green onions without a bulb. The edible portion is the tightly packed leaf sheaths, that are whitish & very light green in color. Leeks offer a subtle, sweet, and oniony flavor, milder than that of onions. Always soak your prepared leeks to be sure all of the grit is removed.
- Carrots – Cut into substantial slices.
- Celery – Cut into substantial slices.
- Chicken stock – Use your favorite prepared broth or stock here. If you happen to have some homemade chicken stock on standby, by all means use that.
- Kosher salt – If need be, table salt can be used with caution. Table salt is finer and more dense than kosher salt, so a teaspoon of table salt will contain more actual salt than a teaspoon of kosher salt. When substituting, use about two-thirds the amount of table salt specified in a recipe using kosher salt.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh thyme sprigs – Fresh thyme has a distinctive, earthy, and slightly peppery flavor with hints of sweetness and a subtle, floral aroma.
- Baby potatoes – Baby potatoes, also called new potatoes, are young potatoes harvested before they fully mature. Often smaller than two-inches in diameter, they have a thinner, more delicate skin and a creamier texture than larger, mature potatoes.
- Fresh baby spinach – Fresh baby spinach is ideal in this recipe. The young tender leaves are more delicate with a slightly sweeter flavor compared to mature spinach.
The flavorful base of this soup starts off with rendered bacon drippings. Once the bacon is well-cooked and crispy, set it aside leaving a small amount of fat in the pan.
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high until crisp.
- Remove the bacon from the pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan.
- Set bacon aside.
It is recommended that you use bone-in chicken thighs here. The skin is removed before seasoning the entire surface with herbes de Provence. If you prefer to use boneless thighs, that would be fine. Keep in mind that simmering your soup with the bones in the mix will actually make your finished dish more flavorful.
According to the experts at Bon Appétit, “when you cook chicken thighs with the bone in, the flavor that’s housed inside the bone spreads out into the meat, leaving you with chicken with a deeper, meatier, more chicken-y flavor.”
- Sprinkle the chicken with the Herbes de Provence.
- Add the seasoned chicken to the bacon drippings in the pan.
- Cook for about 8 minutes, browning on all sides.
- Transfer the chicken using a slotted spoon to a 6-quart electric slow cooker, reserving any drippings in pan.
Let’s talk about Herbes de Provence…
This blend of herbs originated in the southeastern region of France and was introduced to American home chefs during the 1970’s by the infamous Julia Child. Of course, this popular blend is sold in most supermarkets but you can easily mix up your own and make adjustments to suit your family’s personal taste.
According to the folks at The Spruce Eats… “there are many herbs (and spices) that can collectively be called herbes de Provence, but the basic recipe includes fennel, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, and thyme. Other recipes include (or omit) basil, bay leaves, savory, chervil, sage, oregano, mint, and lavender.”
When mixing up my own jar of herbs de Provence, this is what I use as a basic formula…
- 3 tablespoons dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- Add the prepared leek, carrot and celery to the drippings in the pan.
- Sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in one cup of the chicken stock, scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits.
- You never want to leave any of that goodness behind.
This is where your Slow-Cooker Chicken Soup With Bacon & Potatoes starts to really come together…
- Add the leek mixture, along with the cooked bacon, remaining 3 cups of stock, salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs to the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Check to be sure that your slow cooker is set on LOW.
- Gently mix it to combine, cover it and walk away for a full two hours.
- After the initial two-hour simmer, add the potatoes.
- Mix them in to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for two more hours, until the potatoes are tender.
We’re on the home stretch now…
- Check to be sure the potatoes are tender.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon.
- Place it on a plate to cool slightly.
- Remove and discard the thyme sprigs.
- When you’re able to handle the chicken, remove it from the bone.
- Cut the meat into bite-size pieces.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker.
Discard the bones or place them in a ziplock bag, freeze them to be added to your next batch of homemade chicken stock.
- When the chicken has been thoroughly reheated in the slow cooker, add the chopped spinach.
- Stir the mixture just until the spinach begins to wilt.
Not sure if this picture should be labeled as a soup. Looks more like a stew, right?
Be sure to include a fresh green salad and some crusty bread with your Slow-Cooker Chicken Soup With Bacon & Potatoes for a complete & satisfying meal.
slow-cooker chicken soup with bacon & potatoes
Adapted from Cooking Light
Hearty stew-like soup; just add a green salad & some crusty bread to sop up the flavorful broth.
Ingredients
- 4 center-cut bacon slices, diced
- 1 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
- 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
- 2 cups thinly sliced leek from 2 large leeks, light green & white part only (about 8 ounces)
- 1 cup sliced carrot, from 2 large carrots (about 6 ounces)
- 1 cup sliced celery, from 2 large stalks (about 6 ounces)
- 4 cups chicken stock, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 5 fresh thyme sprigs
- 14 ounces baby potatoes
- 2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach (about 2.5 ounces)
Instructions
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Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Set bacon aside.
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Sprinkle chicken with the herbes de Provence. Add chicken to bacon drippings in pan; cook for about 8 minutes, browning on all sides. Transfer the chicken using a slotted spoon to a 6-quart electric slow cooker, reserving any drippings in pan.
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Add the prepared leek, carrot, and celery to the drippings in the pan; sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the chickenstock, scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits. Add the leek mixture, along with the cooked bacon, remaining 3 cups of stock, salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours.
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Add the potatoes; cover and cook on LOW for 2 more hours, until the potatoes are tender.
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Remove the chicken from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon; discard thyme sprigs. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces; discard the bones. Return the chicken to the slow cooker; add the spinach, stirring until the spinach wilts.
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More hearty soups…
This soup or stew is just like every other meal you prepare, delliiisssiiioooouuuuuusssssssss !!!!
Ahhh, so nice of you! Always happy to prepare your meals! ❤️