Crockpot Italian Chicken, Quinoa, and Vegetable Soup

1. Lightly spray a slow cooker with non-stick spray. I used a 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe.
2. Add in the boneless skinless chicken breasts (no need to cook first), chopped yellow onion, chopped celery, diced carrots, garlic, uncooked quinoa (rinse to remove bitter saponin if your quinoa isn’t pre-rinsed), and un-drained fire-roasted diced tomatoes.
3. Add in the broth along with all the seasonings — red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, and dried basil. Make sure to add these seasonings to your personal preference — if you aren’t sure you want as much of something leave it out until the end where you can slowly add it and taste test it. If you want to add more – go for it! I always do the red pepper flakes, 1 full teaspoon Italian seasoning (and sometimes more), the oregano, 1/2 tablespoon basil, 1 one small sprig of fresh rosemary, and LOTS of cracked pepper.
4. Cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours (Mine took 4 hours) or until the quinoa has popped and the chicken shreds easily.
5. Shred the chicken and return it to the crockpot. Add in any more seasonings to taste. Add in fresh rosemary and fresh parsley if desired.
6. NOTE: the longer this soup “sits” or cooks the more broth that gets absorbed into the quinoa. This makes it heartier and also less brothy. If you want a more brothy soup, watch carefully and remove from the heat of the slow cooker when it is your desired consistency. Alternatively add more broth as desired.
7. Top each bowl with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Original Recipes visit: Crockpot Italian Chicken, Quinoa, and Vegetable Soup @ chelseasmessyapron.com