Parents don’t get sick days. That’s the topic of some amusing TV commercials that have been airing lately — and they’re amusing because they’re true. Parents have to parent no matter how they feel.
Several years ago, when my children were very young, I had pneumonia. Somehow, I managed to go to work every day. But I was exhausted by the time I got home. So I’d load the kids up in the car and take them to a nearby restaurant, where I could get soup and they could get something more filling.
These days when I get sick, I turn to my slow cooker instead of a nearby restaurant. It’s much less expensive and actually easier — especially since I tend to keep the necessary ingredients on hand in my pantry or freezer. (If I don’t have fresh spinach and mushrooms as called for in this recipe, for example, I’ll substitute frozen spinach and canned mushrooms.)
We all know that chicken soup eases the symptoms of respiratory ailments such as colds and flu. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, speeds up mucus flow through the nose, relieves congestion and prevents dehydration.
The reason I like this particular soup is that it contains beans, which help fill you up. So it’s a good soup to fix when I’m sick because I feel better and my children feel full. I eat mine as is; they eat theirs with crusty bread on the side and parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
Slow cooker chicken soup with white beans and spinach
Total time
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into small chunks
- 1 quart of chicken broth
- 10 ounces of baby spinach leaves
- 8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large Vidalia onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- Sea salt to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- Place all ingredients into the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 2 hours, then cook on low for 2 more hours.
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