Slow Cooker Turkey Meatball Soup

Yup! Another meatball soup. I'm clearly a meatball soup convert. Which works out well, because this one is easy and so tasty. Yay. And in the slow cooker, it's perfect for when you want a hearty meal, but you're not in the mood to cook, or don't have the time.

YIELD 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

        6 medium mushrooms (1 1/2 cups), chopped

        1 medium onion, sliced

        4 small carrots (1 cup), peeled & chopped - no bigger than 1/2" pieces

        3 large celery stalks (2 cups), chopped - no bigger than 1/2" pieces

        4 cups chicken or beef stock

        1 tablespoon coconut aminos

        1/2 teaspoon salt

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        Red pepper flakes for garnish (optional)

        For Meatballs

        1 pound ground turkey

        1 tablespoon minced garlic

        1 egg, beaten

        1 teaspoon dried basil

        1 tablespoon dried onions

        1 teaspoon salt

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        1/4 cup almond flour

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Thoroughly combine ingredients for meatballs (don't form them yet), and refrigerate to firm up

    2.    Put the rest of the ingredients, except the red pepper flakes, in slow cooker

    3.    Use a tablespoon to scoop meat balls, and spread them atop the vegetables (Don't worry if they touch a bit - they're easy to break up once they're cooked)

    4.    Cook on low for 4-6 hours

Italian Wedding Soup

Confession: I've never been much for Italian Wedding Soup. Meatballs in soup... are weird to me. Right?? Just me? Well, the other night it was a million degrees below zero, which meant I was more than happy to stay in my cozy home and scrounge for what in the world we were going to eat for dinner, based on the odd assortment of things in our fridge. Turkey burger, a few veggies, eggs, a ton of condiments... half of a sad lemon. Ahhhh! Italian Wedding Soup! Sans-dairy and grains (and sad lemons), of course. It was something new I'd never made before, and felt like a fun challenge. And I'm soooo glad I tried it out. You guys, this soup is yummazing. Enjoy.

YIELD 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

        For Meatballs

        1 pound ground turkey

        1 egg, whisked

        1/4 onion, diced and sautéed

        2 teaspoons minced garlic

        1 teaspoon salt

        2 teaspoons dried parsley

        1 teaspoon dried basil

        1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

        Shredded parmesan (...or mozzarella, as pictured above because that's what I had in the fridge ;))

        For Broth

        6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

        2 teaspoons ghee (I add ghee for flavor and richness, but if you're strictly non-dairy, coconut oil can be added or the oil can be omitted entirely)

        2 celery stalks, chopped

        1/4 onion, chopped

        2 small bunches of bok choy (about 1/2 pound), chopped into bite-size-ish pieces (separate white stalk pieces from leaves)

        Salt and pepper to taste

        Pinch of cayenne (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    In a large pot combine chicken stock, salt, pepper, cayenne and ghee - heat on medium until it reaches a gentle boil

    2.    While broth is heating up, dice and sauté onions

    3.    While keeping an eye on the onions, thoroughly combine rest of ingredients for meatballs - mix in sautéd onions when they're ready

    4.    When broth reaches a boil, use a teaspoon to scoop meatballs and drop into the broth

    5.    When they're all in the pot, add in the celery, onions, and chopped white stalks of bok choy

    6.    Next stir the soup as you drizzle the whisked eggs into the moving broth. That's what creates strands of egg, instead of clumps (also it's fun).

    7.    As soon as the veggies begin to get tender, add in the bok choy leaves and allow to cook a few more minutes

    8.    This is great served with B&B Cashew Flatbread and some shredded cheese on top, if you eat dairy

Slow Cooker Chicken Potato Soup with Apples

Thad's dubious. "We're having apple soup for dinner?" Yeah, that's fair. Putting apples in soup sounds like a ploy to use up the rest of our bumper crop of backyard apple tree apples. Which, alright fine, it totally is. But a girl can only freeze so much apple sauce. So here was my shot at a savory apple dish, and I've gotta say, it's SO so good. The apples give a lovely, smooth balance to the onions and garlic. And I promise it's not even a little weird. Just all yummed up with hearty potato, chicken, apple tastiness.

* Potato thoughts

YIELD 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 pound skinless chicken breast, chopped

        4 medium potatoes, cubed (no need to peel)

        2 small/medium apples w/ skin on, cubed (I used ginger gold for an even balance between sweet and tart)

        1 large sweet onion, sliced

        1 tablespoon minced garlic

        1 tablespoon ghee or butter

        1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

        1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        1/2 teaspoon coriander

        1 teaspoon thyme

        1 1/2 cups water

        Green onions, chopped (optional, for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Combine all ingredients (except green onions) in crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours

    2.    About 30 minutes before you're ready to serve, fork the chicken to shred it (it should fall apart easily and soak up lots of the yummy broth)

    3.    Allow to finish cooking and serve