Healthy Spring Crockpot & Slow Cooker Recipes

Find healthy, delicious spring crockpot and slow-cooker recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Slow-Cooker Beef Tacos with Rhubarb Salsa

Rating: Unrated
1
The fresh salsa in this easy load-and-go taco recipe is a great way to use spring rhubarb. If you don't have rhubarb, try subbing in fresh tomatillos or red bell pepper for an equally beautiful and delicious taco topper.
By Carolyn Casner

Middle Eastern Lamb Stew

Rating: Unrated
10
This brothy stew is boldly flavored with a blend of characteristic Middle Eastern spices and finished with fresh spinach and fiber-rich chickpeas. Economical lamb shoulder tenderizes beautifully when leisurely cooked in a slow cooker. If you can't find boneless shoulder stew meat, do not substitute more-expensive lamb leg--it tends to dry out during slow cooking. Instead, purchase lamb shoulder chops and debone them. Serve over bulgur and accompany with a salad.
By Patsy Jamieson

Swedish Yellow Split Pea Soup with Ham

Rating: Unrated
6
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.
By Jim Romanoff

Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips

Rating: Unrated
6
The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe--cinnamon, allspice and cloves--may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.
By Hilary Meyer

Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew

Rating: Unrated
10
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.
By Adam Dolge

Slow-Cooked Ranch Chicken and Vegetables

Rating: Unrated
5
This creamy, veggie-packed chicken dinner comes together easily in your slow-cooker-and makes enough for another night's casserole (see associated recipe)!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Beef & Barley Soup

There's something so satisfying about a hearty bowl of beef and barley soup--especially when it's one you've made from scratch with reduced-sodium broth and chunks of delicious sirloin steak. This slow-cooker recipe is simple to prepare, serves six, and is a great alternative to canned soup!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna

Rating: Unrated
18
Sure, the slow cooker's great for stews and soups, but it also happens to make a mean lasagna! In this ingenious slow-cooker recipe, all you have to do is chop your veggies, then layer the ingredients (raw) into the crockpot. Serve with: Garlic bread and a green salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Cooker Vietnamese Pulled Chicken

Rating: Unrated
3
Busy week coming up? Cook up these easy poached chicken breasts infused with the flavors of the ubiquitous Vietnamese sauce nuoc cham in your slow cooker on Sunday. Then enjoy the leftover chicken three different ways over the days to come--ladled with the broth over rice noodles, layered with vegetables on a sandwich and mixed with mayo to make a creamy chicken salad.
By Stacy Fraser

Mustard-Maple Chicken with Wild Rice Pilaf

This slow-cooker meal is simple to prepare and will elicit rave reviews from everyone at your table. The wild rice pilaf is started early in the slow cooker and followed up by the chicken and sweet and tangy maple-mustard sauce. It's a mouthwatering combination!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Slow-Cooker Stout & Chicken Stew

Rating: Unrated
24
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.
By Jim Romanoff

Greek Chicken & Vegetable Ragout

Rating: Unrated
7
Chicken thighs stay moist and succulent during slow cooking, infusing the accompanying vegetables with superb flavor. This easy braise has a luxurious finish of avgolémono, a versatile Greek sauce made with egg, lemon and fresh dill.
By Patsy Jamieson

Inspiration and Ideas

Slow-Cooker Make Moroccan Lentil Soup

Slow-Cooker Make Moroccan Lentil Soup

Mix up the ingredients for this veggie-packed soup recipe in your slow cooker in the morning and come home to a delicious Spring dinner.
Slow-Cooker Vietnamese Pulled Chicken

Slow-Cooker Vietnamese Pulled Chicken

These easy poached chicken breasts infused with the nuoc cham sauce make a great Spring dinner. Use the leftovers over the days to come in soups, sandwiches and salads.
Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna

Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna

20 Dump & Go Slow-Cooker Recipes for Spring

20 Dump & Go Slow-Cooker Recipes for Spring

Weeknight Spring Slow Cooker Recipes That Take 30 Minutes or Less to Prep

Weeknight Spring Slow Cooker Recipes That Take 30 Minutes or Less to Prep

15 Slow-Cooker Soups That Are Perfect for Spring

15 Slow-Cooker Soups That Are Perfect for Spring

Eggplant-Zucchini Parmesan

This side dish is a cinch -- place the ingredients in your slow cooker and forget about them until dinnertime.

All Healthy Spring Crockpot & Slow Cooker Recipes

Chinese Pork & Vegetable Hot Pot

Rating: Unrated
6
The richly flavored red braises characteristic of Chinese cooking make warming winter meals that can be adapted to a slow cooker. Typically, seasonings of anise, cinnamon and ginger distinguish these dishes. Pork shoulder becomes meltingly tender during the slow braise. Serve over noodles or brown rice, with stir-fried napa cabbage.
By Patsy Jamieson

Irish Lamb Stew

Rating: Unrated
6
Lamb stew is Irish penicillin: a rich stew full of potatoes, leeks and carrots that'll cure whatever ails you. In traditional fashion, nothing here is browned first, just all stewed together--in this case, in a slow cooker to make it extra easy. To keep it healthy make sure to trim the lamb of any visible fat before you cook it.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Cooker Turkish Lamb & Vegetable Stew

Rating: Unrated
3
Layers of fresh Mediterranean vegetables, seasoned with an abundance of bay, garlic and oregano, meld with tender lamb into a luscious harvest-time supper. Serve the stew with rice or warm whole-wheat pita.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Dried Fruit Compote with Green Tea & Lemon

Rating: Unrated
6
When the selection of fruit in the winter is lacking, poaching shelf-stable dried fruit in lemon-infused green tea creates a luscious fruit compote. Serve topped with low-fat plain yogurt and chopped pistachios for breakfast or dessert.
By Patsy Jamieson

Rich Chicken Stew

Rating: Unrated
9
A blanquette is a classic French stew of veal, chicken or lamb with mushrooms in a velvety sauce. This concept has been adapted to the slow cooker to make a lightened-up version using chicken thighs. Just a little whipping cream (which is less inclined to break down than lighter creams and gives more density to the sauce) adds richness. This is delightful over egg noodles.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

Rating: Unrated
3
The slow cooker makes easy work of this healthy jambalaya featuring brown rice and plenty of veggies. If you don't want to make your own seasoning, just skip Step 1 and use 1 1/2 teaspoons purchased salt-free Cajun seasoning in Step 2.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Pork, Farro, Bean, and Sweet Potato Stew

Rating: Unrated
1
This stew recipe is a great choice for a warming fall or winter dinner. Because it uses shredded, cooked pork it's a relatively quick slow-cooker meal, ready in under 3 hours.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Aztec Corn Chowder

Rating: Unrated
1
Use your slow cooker to create this tasty vegetarian soup. If you like a little kick, a few drops of hot sauce does the trick.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Slow-Cooker Lamb Stew with Artichokes & White Beans

Fresh dill, lemon, escarole and artichokes give this healthy slow-cooker lamb stew recipe a decidedly springtime flavor. Dried white beans are perfect in this healthy crock pot recipe, but you could also add frozen lima beans at the end.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Lemon-Berry Pudding Cake

Impress your friends and family with this beautiful and refreshing lemon and berry pudding cake.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Buffalo Chicken Salads

Enjoy super-tasty Buffalo chicken that's easier (done in your slow cooker!) and healthier (topping a salad!) than traditional wings.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Barley-Squash Gratin

Barley is an excellent source of fiber, and in this slow-cooker recipe it's paired with nutrient-dense spinach and butternut squash. Topped with shredded Parmesan cheese, this side dish will be happy sharing a plate with whatever else you're serving.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Savory Barbecue Chicken

Nutty cumin, citrus, and jalapeño pepper jelly make a tasty sauce for the chicken as it simmers in the slow cooker. Serve with whole-grain bread for a complete meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Hot German-Style Potato Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
Most people think of potato salad as a cold side dish reserved for picnics or barbecues. Not this one! This hearty recipe pairs potatoes and onions in a slow cooker, where they cook until tender. Served warm and topped with chunks of cooked turkey bacon, this easy side dish is lovely served on a bed of baby spinach.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta

Rating: Unrated
6
This rustic stew cooks all day in the slow cooker so you can come home to a comforting, hot dinner. Not a fan of polenta? Try this healthy chicken dinner over pasta instead.
By Meredith Butcher
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