30 Nights of Hearty Slow-Cooker Soups & Stews

November 19, 2019

'Tis the season for comfort food, and we have some of the coziest slow-cooker soup and stew recipes around. Just toss everything into your slow cooker in the morning and come home to a hearty bowl of nourishment. What more could you ask for?

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Slow-Cooker Creamy Lentil Soup Freezer Pack

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Prep the ingredients for this soup months in advance for a total hands-off meal that's ready when you are. Vegetarian lentils and vegan coconut milk make this soup creamy and pack in plenty of plant-based protein and a hearty amount of fiber. To keep it vegan, opt for vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew

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This load-and-go slow-cooker chicken recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve this Tuscan-inspired dish with crusty bread, a glass of Chianti and a salad.

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Slow-Cooker "Corned Beef" & Cabbage

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This warming slow-cooker stew has all the flavors of corned beef and cabbage but with much less sodium, plus it's ready in half the time of traditional corned beef and cabbage. Rather than curing the beef in a salty brine for at least a day, we just throw the beef and veggies into a crock pot with pickling spice for that delicous briny flavor without the long soaking period.

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Slow-Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup Freezer Pack

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Your favorite restaurant soup just got easier and healthier with this freezer-to-crock-pot recipe. If you keep a special bottle of olive oil on hand for stand-out dishes, this is the recipe to pull it out for. The headiness of the fruity olive oil truly elevates the flavors in this Italian meal-prep slow-cooker soup.

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Slow-Cooker Southwestern Bean Soup

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Get dinner on the table on a busy day with ease with this load-&-go crock pot recipe. This zesty soup can simmer in the crock pot for an entire workday, making it perfect for a busy weekday meal. Bump up the Southwest flavors with a garnished of chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime, if desired.

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Slow-Cooker Spicy Barbecue Pork Stew

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Eat this dish along with cornbread on a cold day. This slow-cooker pork stew is filling, and the heat from the spicy barbecue sauce and vinegar from the hot peppers will warm you. Reduce the amount of barbecue sauce or use a sweet variety if you can't handle the heat.

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Slow-Cooker Potato Soup

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This easy slow-cooker potato soup has all the good stuff you love on a potato—including bacon, cheese and scallions. Serve this loaded baked potato soup with a salad for an easy dinner—just 15 minutes of active prep time!—whenever you're in need of some serious comfort food. It would also be fun fare for a casual party. Serve it straight out of the slow cooker and set out bowls of toppings so everyone can assemble their own. You can easily make this soup vegetarian—just use vegetable broth and skip the bacon.

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Slow-Cooker Lemony Chicken Noodle Soup

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This is a classic chicken noodle soup with bright lemony flavor. Because the noodles are whole-wheat, they have added pleasant chewiness-not to mention more fiber and nutrients-than the regular variety. Pair this delicious soup with crusty bread and red wine.

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Slow-Cooker French Onion Soup with Gruyère Toasts

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Fans of French onion soup who love it for its caramelized onions, beefy broth and cheesy toast topping won't be disappointed with this recipe, which offers all those elements plus a hands-on time of only 20 minutes.

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Slow-Cooker Spanish Chickpea Soup

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This easy soup recipe is inspired by cocido, the hearty stew of assorted meats, chickpeas and vegetables considered a national dish of Spain. Each region, family and restaurant has its own variation, but this slow-cooker soup has enough meat to satisfy the carnivores and enough vegetables to make it healthy. Ask for a 4-ounce slab of Serrano ham or prosciutto at your deli counter instead of buying slices. If you don't have a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker, opt for the stovetop variation instead.

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Slow-Cooker-Vegetable-Chicken-Meatball-Stew

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Don't skip cooking the onions for the meatballs. This step softens the onions so they more easily add their sweet flavor to the meatball mixture. Best part? This slow-cooker meatball soup only requires 25 minutes of hands-on time.

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Slow-Cooker White Bean, Spinach & Sausage Stew

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Reach for this recipe on a chilly morning when you know you'll want a steaming bowl of slow-cooker sausage stew for supper. To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten-free sausage.

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low-Cooker Korean Beef & Cabbage Stew

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Brown sugar makes this slow-cooker beef stew a tad sweet, which beautifully complements the spicy kimchi. You can make this soup ahead and refrigerate it until ready to eat. If you opt to make it ahead, wait until you reheat the soup to add the cabbage.

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Slow-Cooker Stout & Chicken Stew

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Chicken thighs can take plenty of cooking without getting tough or drying out, which makes them perfect for the slow cooker. Here we braise them in Guinness stout along with hearty vegetables, with just the right amount of bacon for added savoriness.

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Chicken-Corn Tortilla Soup

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Using bone-in chicken thighs in this soup ensures the meat stays moist over the long cooking time. Not only are chicken thighs inherently juicier than breast meat, but cooking chicken on the bone also helps it stay succulent.

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Shiitake & Noodle Hot & Sour Soup

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This vegetarian hot-&-sour-inspired soup is chock-full of tofu and vegetables, plus noodles to make it hearty enough for dinner.

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Slow-Cooker Indian Lamb & Butternut Squash Stew

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We call for lamb shoulder because it's tougher than other cuts and holds up well throughout the long cook time. If you can't find shoulder, use boneless leg of lamb in this slow-cooker butternut squash stew.

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Slow-Cooker Beef-Barley Soup with Red Wine & Pesto

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Hearty, thick, rich—this is just how a winter soup should be. The meat and carrots become tender yet retain their texture, and the kale offers freshness. Garnish each serving of this slow-cooker beef and barley soup with additional pesto and fresh basil and oregano sprigs, if desired.

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Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili with Butternut Squash

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The sweetness of the butternut squash tames the kick from cayenne in this healthy turkey chili, making this easy crock pot chili just right for kids and adults alike, whether for weeknight dinners or tailgating parties. For those who prefer a spicier chili, just pass hot sauce at the table. This chili also freezes well, so save leftovers for hearty and healthy dinners and lunches for weeks to come.

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Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Chicken & Chickpea Soup

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This set-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker recipe simmers away all day so you come home to a warm and healthy dinner the whole family will love. Using bone-in chicken is the key to making rich soup without adding broth

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Slow-Cooker Jambalaya

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This hearty jambalaya is bursting with chicken, smoked turkey sausage and shrimp. It takes just 25 minutes to prep in the morning and then your slow cooker will work its magic and deliver a tasty meal at the end of the day.

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Slow-Cooker Clam Chowder

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Plan to make this slow-cooker chowder recipe when you have a busy day at work. Put in just a few minutes of prep in the morning and you'll be rewarded with a hearty clam chowder come dinnertime.

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Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

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Perfect for dinner on a cold evening, this slow-cooker chicken soup is chock full of mushrooms, leeks, celery and wild rice. It gets its creaminess from a blend of low-fat milk and silken-style tofu.

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Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Chili

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Grab your crock pot for this delicious and easy slow-cooker vegetarian chili with beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, bell peppers and sweet potatoes. The recipe requires just 20 minutes of active time: after a bit of chopping, you just dump the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it do the work. Adding a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of cilantro just before serving brightens up the flavors. Top it with some shredded cheese, if you'd like, or serve it as-is to keep it vegan. Either way, this healthy chili is sure to become a go-to when you want a satisfying and healthy dinner.

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Mulligatawny Soup

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This is a soup with a long history (references to it in English go back to 1784) that can now be conveniently made in a modern appliance. Although it's technically an English soup, its origins are decidedly Indian. (The name loosely means "pepper water" in the Tamil language of Southern India.) The sweetness of apple and coconut milk counterbalances the garlic, ginger, curry and cayenne.

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Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup

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Make a big batch of low-calorie veggie-packed soup with ease in this load-and-go crock pot recipe. After simmering away in the slow cooker, portion it into individual serving containers and store in the fridge or freezer for fast, healthy lunches or an easy, satisfying snack. This weight-loss vegetable soup fills you up without a lot of calories, plus it's an easy way to eat more vegetables.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup Meal-Prep Freezer Pack

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Not only does this chicken noodle soup recipe utilize the crock pot for a set-it-and-forget-it easy dinner, you can also prep all the ingredients ahead of time and store them away in the freezer to pull out on a day where you forgot to plan dinner. That's a meal-prep win! Just make sure you thaw the food before adding it to the slow cooker—otherwise it will remain at an unsafe temperature for too long.

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Slow-Cooker Moroccan Lentil Soup

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Like most soups, this Moroccan lentil soup recipe gets better with time as the complex seasonings have time to develop. Make it a day ahead if you can—this easy slow cooker/crock pot recipe variation makes it a cinch to get the soup cooking while you do other things.

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Slow-Cooker Turkey & Kale Minestrone Soup

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Adjust the heat level in the dish by choosing either hot or mild Italian sausage. You can add red pepper, too, to make it extra hot. Serve this slow-cooker minestrone with crusty bread, if desired.

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Swedish Yellow Split Pea Soup with Ham

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This yellow split pea soup has fresh ginger to give it a bright flavor. Use the best ham you can find to get the most flavor.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken & Wild Rice Soup with Asparagus & Peas

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Use your crock pot all year with this healthy slow-cooker chicken soup recipe with fresh spring ingredients. Adding the asparagus and peas to the slow cooker for the last 20 minutes of cooking and leaving the lid off ensures that the vegetables stay bright green and are perfectly done without getting mushy.

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