Slow Cooker Navy Bean Soup

For a while now I've been trying to incorporate more beans into our diet as a main protein for one meal each week and have been so happy with this navy bean soup recipe, there was no way I could resist sharing it with you.

I have adapted this recipe to suit our tastes and we think it is SO yummy!  My favorite part is how easy it is to put together a nutritious and filling soup for my family.

:: 1½ cups navy beans (great northern beans also work wonderfully)
:: 5 cups water
:: 2 carrots, diced
:: 2 celery stalks, diced
:: 1 medium onion, diced
:: ½lb. ham steak, cut into bite size pieces
:: salt and pepper, to taste

~ Soak beans over night, then drain and rinse.
~ Add all ingredients to slow cooker
~ Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 8+ hours

Could it be any easier?

This soup is wonderful served with cornbread or yeast rolls.

Tip: If I'm running behind and don't get it started early enough, I turn the slow cooker on high while I'm chopping the veggies, boil the 5 cups of water in my kettle and then pour the boiling water (instead of tap water) into the slow cooker with the other ingredients to speed up the process a bit.

This post is linked to: Smockity Frocks' "What's in your crockpot" carnival.

Chicken tortilla soup

Yum!  This is my  new favorite winter soup!  It's easy and so yummy!

What you need:
~ 1 small yellow onion, diced
~ 1 T. coconut oil
~ 4 cups chicken stock (I use homemade)
~ 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken (or more if you like it extra chicken-y!)
~ ½ bag frozen sweet corn
~ 2-3 cans Rotel (original)
~ ½ cup brown rice
~ 2 Tbsp. dried cilantro leaves
~ Salt to taste
~ Shredded cheese (we like Monterey Jack)
~ Sour cream
~ Flour tortillas (approx. 4 8" tortillas)

* In large soup pot, sautee onions in coconut oil.
* Add chicken stock and bring to boil.
* Add corn, rice and cilantro, reduce heat to medium and allow to cook at gentle boil for approximately 45 minutes (until rice is tender).
* Meanwhile, slice tortillas into 1" x 4" strips and bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet at 350 until crispy (be careful, they go from crispy to burnt really quickly!).
* Once rice is tender, add chicken, corn, Rotel and salt.
* Return to simmer and allow to heat thru.

Edited to add: You might need to add water as it's cooking to keep it the proper "soup" consistency!

Serve topped with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream and crispy tortilla strips.