Crock Pot Mexican Soup

Hi guys! I’m enjoying having guest posts for my Fix and Forget Fridays! Today we have a great recipe from my friend Nikki over at Christian Mommy Blogger. Thanks Nikki!

I am a bit of a numbers dork (ahem, so is Barry) so I just had to make this about something more than a recipe! Don’t let the amount of ingredients scare you – this is not just a soup. This is a soup formula. That is right. The seasoning stays the same, but the main star(s) of the show can easily change.

You will not get tired with this soup. Good news since it freezes well!

Here is what you do…pick your meat: beef, sausage, pork or chicken. If you pick the beef, sausage or pork, brown it. If you pick the chicken, for this recipe, I would just start with cooked chicken. Then you get your must-have veggies ready: garlic and onions. Put the meat and the must-have veggies in the crock pot.

Next up? Your optional veggies: zucchini, celery, asparagus. I personally prefer zucchini and celery both. Here are a few tips for your optional veggies: use frozen shredded zucchini. It is a great way to preserve your harvest and use all year long. I freeze in one cup portions. As for asparagus, please only buy in season (duh) and NEVER pay more than 1.99 per pound!! It may be hard to pass it up, but it will in fact drop below 2.00. When it does, stock up! I am sure Stacy is biting her tongue right now, trying NOT to make a joke about pee (asparagus, pee, get it?). But Stacy, let’s not talk about pee when we are talking about soup, please. (Stacy – okay forgive me, but that thought about asaparagus will forever be in my mind due to the movie “Elf.” )

So we digress. Throw your optional veggies into the pot. Now you need your starch: sweet potatoes! This really rounds out the soup and gives you the extra filling you need. We are gluten and dairy free in our house and this soup still fills us up – without the bread! Dice those potatoes up nice and evenly so they all keep in line with the other veggies. This helps them to cook evenly.

The rest is a bit of a blur. I don’t have special stories or advice for any of this. I just know that the combination of it all tastes great! So here it is: Add diced tomatoes and the chicken stock. Combine the tomato paste, water, maple syrup, cumin, chili powder, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well (until all of the tomato paste is nicely dissolved) and pour the mixture over the other yummy ingredients in the crock pot.

Give it a nice stir, put a lid on it and check on it in 4-6 hours! All you need is 4 but 6 really brings out the flavors! Please remember to use less salt if you use sausage, as it already has more flavor and may not need very much.

I recommend serving in a bowl over a few discs of polenta garnished with an avocado. If you are my husband (which you most certainly are not) you may not like that the avocado gets a little warm. I personally think it tastes great!

Crock Pot Mexican Soup

Meat:

1 lb ground beef, sausage, or pork (browned)

or 2 cups shredded chicken, cooked

Must-have veggies:

1 onion sliced (half moon and big dice)

3 garlic cloves, minced (or smashed if you want to pull them out later)

Optional Veggies (or just use them all!)

1 large zucchini, large dice or (2 cups shredded if you preserved)

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 bunch of asparagus (chopped)

The rest:

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 can diced tomatoes (in juice)

1 quart chicken stock

1 6 oz can tomato paste + 4 cups of water

2 T Maple Syrup

Cumin (about 1T)

Chili Powder (about 1/2T)

1/2 T basil

1/2 T oregano

1 T salt

1/2 T pepper

Method:

Layer all of the ingredients up to (and including) the chicken stock. Combine remaining ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix well and pour over crock pot ingredients. Stir gently and seal ‘er up! Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Nikki is a Jesus loving, stay {work} at home, mommy-blogger. When she isn’t busy with her one year old and two year old daughters and perfect-for-her husband, she savors real food, Keurig coffee, line dried laundry, breastfeeding, cast iron pans, and precious quiet time with her sweet Savior. Find her blogging at Christian Mommy Blogger. You can also see updates, quick tips, and other inside scoops by liking her on Facebook, or by following her on Twitter (@ChristMomBlog)

*This post is linked at Fat Tuesday on Real Food Forager and at Sunday Night Soup Night on Easy Natural Food.

Disclosure: Some posts include links to sponsors or affiliates, which give me a small percentage of the sale. You are not obligated to use these links when you make a purchase, but when you do so it helps to support this site, so thank you!