Name: slow-cooker chicken soup with bacon & potatoes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 270 min
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))

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.

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.

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. Just keep in mind that simmering your soup with the bones in the mix can 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.”

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

When browned on all sides, use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer the chicken to your slow cooker.
Leave the drippings in the pan.
Add the prepared veggies to those drippings.
Sauté for a few minutes before adding a cup of the chicken stock.
The stock will help loosen any browned bits that may be stuck to the skillet.
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…

Transfer the veggie mixture to the slow cooker.
Add the remaining stock, salt, pepper & fresh thyme.
Gently mix it to combine, cover it and walk away for a full two hours.

After that two-hour simmer on low, add the potatoes.
Mix them in, cover the cooker and walk away for another two hours.

slow-cooker chicken soup with bacon & potatoes

We’re on the home stretch now…

Check to be sure the potatoes are tender.
Remove the chicken from the mix and place 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.

5 from 1 vote

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.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Rosemary Stelmach

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

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Set bacon aside.
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.
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.
Add the potatoes; cover and cook on LOW for 2 more hours, until the potatoes are tender.
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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