It’s winter here in the frozen tundra and I have been in the mood for a hearty filling soup. I love chowders but they are typically high in carbohydrates do to the flour that is used in traditional chowders. Thanks to Kyndra at Peace Love & Low Carb I have found a chowder that is not only low in carbohydrates but also has so many of my favorite foods! Chicken, Bacon..because bacon makes everything more tasty… veggies and mushrooms, I love me some mushrooms! To top it off it’s fairly easy to make in the crockpot and budget friendly for a large family like mine! Nothing pairs better with a chowder than a delicious bread to dip in it….Bread you say? But the CARBS! Well this bread is only 1 net carb for each slice. Be sure to look for the recipe coming soon.
So here’s what you will need(I tripled my recipe do to cooking for an army):
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 small leek, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 6 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp butter, divided
- 2 cups chicken stock, divided
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 lb bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
Heat slow cooker on low setting. To slow cooker, add garlic, shallot, leek, celery, mushrooms, onions, 2 tbsp butter, 1 cup chicken stock, sea salt and black pepper. Cover, and cook vegetables on low for 1 hour.
While the vegetables are cooking – In a large skillet over medium-high heat, pan-sear the chicken breasts in the remaining 2 tbsp butter until they are browned on both sides. – About 5 minutes each side, chicken will not be fully cooked. Once chicken is seared remove from pan and set aside. While the pan is still hot use the remaining 1 cup of chicken stock to scrape up any bits of chicken that may be stuck to the pan. Add chicken stock to slow cooker.
Add heavy cream, cream cheese, and rest of seasoning to the slow cooker. Stir until well combined and there are no longer any visible chunks of cream cheese. When the chicken has cooled, cut it into cubes and add it to the slow cooker, along with bacon.
Stir until all ingredients are well combined. Cover and let cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
Per serving(serving size 1 cup) – Calories: 355 | Fat: 28g | Protein: 21g | Total Carbs: 6.4g | Fiber: .62g | Net Carbs 5.75g
