In the kitchen with Kelley: Slow cooker chicken soup with white beans and spinach

Few things are as comforting as warm soup when the air outside begins to cool. Few things are as easy to cook either, or capable of packing loads of nutrition and health-boosting vitamins and minerals into one dish.

That’s why our love of soups and slow cookers reaches a fever pitch this time of year. And an old favorite at my house is chicken soup.

We all know that chicken soup is the go-to soup when feeling under the weather. But what you may not know is why… or why you should eat it before you get sick–sort of as maintenance too. Warm chicken soup eases the symptoms of respiratory ailments such as colds and flu. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, speeds up mucus flow through the nose, relieves congestion and prevents dehydration.

But adding mushrooms, like I’ve done in this recipe, takes the immune-boosting benefits of chicken soup up several notches. I highly recommend you read Dr. Elias’ post about 10+ ways mushrooms protect your body like nothing else.

Another reason I like this particular recipe is that it contains beans, which help fill you up. So it’s a good soup to fix whether you’re sick or not. It’s especially good with crusty bread on the side and parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.