Chicken Chickpea Minestrone
This Slow Cooker Chicken Chickpea Minestrone is a dish your whole family will love.
Equipment
- Slow cooker
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- 2 shallots or 1 onion (roughly chopped)
- 2 carrots (sliced)
- 1 small fennel bulb (thinly sliced)
- 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
- 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 28 ounces can crushed or diced tomatoes
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tbsp ghee or butter
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ⅔ cup buckwheat groats or quinoa (rinsed)
- 4-6 cups fresh kale (thick stems removed and leaves torn)
Optional Garlicky Herb Sauce
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Add the shallots, carrots, fennel, garlic, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, salt and black pepper to a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the chicken breasts over the vegetables and add the ghee or butter on top. Pour in the chicken broth.
- Cover and cook on Low for 7 hours or on High for 4–5 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf. Transfer the chicken to a plate, shred it with two forks and return it to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the chickpeas, rinsed buckwheat or quinoa, and kale. Cover and cook on High for approximately 30 minutes, or until the grain is tender and the kale is wilted. Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper as needed.
- Make the optional garlicky herb sauce.** Add the parsley, garlic, lemon zest, olive oil and red pepper flakes to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Season with salt and black pepper, then drizzle the sauce over each bowl of soup before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 542mg | Potassium: 1147mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2041IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 4mg
Disclaimer: All nutrition values are per serving and approximate. They will vary depending on products and quantities used.
