One of the reasons I started this blog was to have all the recipes I love in one place. My Mom is always saying how she needs to go through the dozens of books and binders of recipes that she has collected throughout the years. When Taylor and I moved to Georgia, I was lucky enough to have the time to sit down and go through my own collection (albeit much smaller than my Mom’s). This recipe is inspired by one that I flagged in a Crock Pot recipe book. I eliminated the mango nectar and rice to suit the taste of our family.

The only thing that prevents this recipe from being strictly Paleo is the peanut butter, but it wouldn’t be nearly as delicious without it. It may seem to have a lot of ingredients, but most of them I seem to keep around the house. Onions, celery, carrots, garlic and ginger are practically staples in our diet, and it never hurts to keep boxes of chicken broth and canned pumpkin in the pantry. I got so into this soup that I even was able to improvise when I didn’t have uncooked chicken. The soup still tastes delicious with only the chicken broth. However, you could use canned chicken breast or a store bought rotisserie chicken and add it in at the end of the cooking process. Enjoy this in the cold, or in the heat of summer! Yum!

Ingredients

• 2-3 tbs coconut oil
• 1-2 yellow onion, chopped
• 3-6 cloves of garlic diced or microplaned
• 1-3 tbs diced or microplaned ginger
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 1-2 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 large can solid-packed pumpkin (32 oz)
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
• 1-2 limes juiced (should be a 1/4-1/2 cup of juice)
• 3 tbs rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• Optional: chopped fresh green onions, cilantro

Instructions

• 1. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• 2. Add chicken pieces and cook a few minutes on each side.
• 3. Add onion, celery, garlic, ginger, carrots, bell pepper, red pepper flakes and cook until onions are translucent.
• 4. Remove from heat and add mixture to the slow cooker.
• 5. Add chicken broth, pumpkin, lime juice, peanut butter, coconut milk and water. Stir well.
• 6. Cover slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
• 7. If desired, stir in chopped cilantro, and garnish with chopped green onions