Can you tell I’ve been in the mood for soup lately? I’ve been crazy busy the past few weeks so having recipes that I can just throw in the slow cooker makes it so much easier to eat healthy when I don’t have that much time to cook. This lemon chicken soup isn’t your average chicken soup. The flavor and aroma of rosemary adds more depth to the recipe while the lemon juice and zest really brighten it up with a small amount of acidity. Plus, it has riced cauliflower that adds more nutrients and textures to the soup. You won’t even miss the grains!

Rosemary is a favorite herb in our house. There are bushes of it at my parents’ house in Austin and my in-laws’ house in Palo Alto. The smell of rosemary brings back so many beautiful memories. From my husband grilling steaks on a warm summer night (his signature dish is grass-fed filet with fresh lavender, rosemary, and an array of sea salts) to sitting on the front porch of my parents’ house watching my nieces and nephews play in the yard. It’s such a special herb to us, that we even used it as decoration at our wedding. (See the picture below of our napkin holders and place-card settings). 

 

 

Some benefits of rosemary:

Whenever we have some at the house (mostly for cooking), I will literally walk around with a sprig of rosemary and smell it all day long. Yes, it’s a little weird, but the scent of rosemary is so uplifting and invigorating. Not only that, but this fragrant herb also has medicinal properties as well. Rosemary contains rosmarinic acid. Rosmarinic acid has both anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Some studies also suggest it may protect against various forms of cancers when applied to the skin.[1] It may also help reduce the symptoms of those suffering from seasonal allergies.[2]

 

Slow Cooker Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Soup | Paleo, Whole30, Low-carb | The Real Food Effect by Candace Kennedy, Holistic Nutritionist

 

Tips to reduce food waste:

Before we start cooking, let’s talk about what you can do with some of the food scraps from this recipe.

  1. Stock scraps: Save your onion, carrot, celery, and garlic scraps for a stock. Just make sure all of the scraps are nice and clean (and dirt-free!). Make sure they are pretty dry, too. They don’t have to be completely dry, just not dripping with water. Put them in a freezer-safe storage bag and store in the freezer. Add scraps from other recipes to this bag and when it gets full enough, use the scraps to make a stock or bone broth.
  2. Rosemary stems: You can do the same with the rosemary stems. Just toss the rosemary stems into your freezer scrap bag.
  3. Lemon peels: There are so many things you can do with your lemon peels. I like to zest all of the peels and add the lemon zest to everything — soups, salads, tea, poultry, etc. It adds brightness and flavor to any dish. Then I throw the remaining lemon into water or tea. This article has some awesome tips for what to do with lemon peels.
    • I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m dying to make some lemon peel candy! That would make a fun DIY Christmas gift. And made with coconut sugar or a paleo-friendly sweetener, a healthier way to indulge during the holidays. What are some of your favorite ways to use lemon peels? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Slow Cooker Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Soup | Paleo, Whole30, Low-carb | The Real Food Effect by Candace Kennedy, Holistic Nutritionist

 

Let’s cook!

Here’s what you need:

  • 5 carrots, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 medium onion, diced (about 1.5 cups)
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 cups riced cauliflower
  • 1 lbs pasture-raised chicken, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes 
  • 6 cups chicken broth or chicken bone broth
  • 2 t dried rosemary
  • 1-2 t sea salt (this one is my favorite)
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup juice)
  • 1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1/4-1/2 t cayenne pepper (or more, if you like things spicy. I do!)

For garnish (optional):

  • Fresh cracked pepper 
  • Lemon zest
  • Chopped fresh rosemary

Gadgets:

Here’s what you do:

  1. Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker EXCEPT the fresh rosemary, lemon juice, and lemon zest (you’ll add those at the end). 
  2. Cook on low for about 6 hours. When the soup is finished cooking, add the fresh rosemary, lemon zest, and lemon juice. You can also add a little more sea salt, if needed. Let the flavors meld together for about 20-30 minutes. And that’s it.
  3. Serve soup with a sprinkle of lemon zest, fresh pepper, and/or more fresh rosemary. 

 

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Slow Cooker Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Soup | Paleo, Whole30, Low-carb | The Real Food Effect by Candace Kennedy, Holistic Nutritionist

 

Printer-friendly recipe card:

Slow Cooker Chicken and Cauliflower "Rice" Soup with Lemon and Rosemary
Serves 6
This recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken and Cauliflower "Rice" Soup is full of flavor with antioxidant-rich rosemary and lemon.
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
6 hr
Total Time
6 hr 15 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
6 hr
Total Time
6 hr 15 min
Ingredients
  1. 5 carrots, diced (about 2 cups)
  2. 1 medium onion, diced (about 1.5 cups)
  3. 5 cloves garlic, minced
  4. 2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
  5. 3 cups riced cauliflower
  6. 1 lbs pasture-raised chicken, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
  7. 6 cups chicken broth or chicken bone broth
  8. 2 t dried rosemary
  9. 1-2 t salt
  10. 1/4-1/2 t cayenne pepper
  11. Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  12. 1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
For garnish (optional)
  1. Fresh cracked pepper
  2. Lemon zest
  3. Chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
  1. Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker EXCEPT the fresh rosemary, lemon juice, and lemon zest (you’ll add those at the end).
  2. Cook on low for about 6 hours. When the soup is finished cooking, add the fresh rosemary, lemon zest, and lemon juice. You can also add a little more sea salt, if needed. Let the flavors meld together for about 20-30 minutes. And that’s it.
  3. Serve soup with lemon zest, fresh pepper, and/or more chopped rosemary.
Candace K. Nutrition https://candacekennedy.com/

 

Resources:

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12673045

[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14988517

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