Slow Cooker Greek Chicken Soup
Hi! How’s the day going? Hope you’re having a great morning <3
I took yesterday afternoon to research some options for Bell after taking her to the vet.
(Animals amaze me. She knew we were at the vet -even though it was a new place/doctor- the second we walked in the door. Liv spent lots of time cuddling her and saying, “It’s ok. Don’t be afraid, Bell. Maybe you won’t need a shot.”)
She had a scary coughing fit a couple of nights ago, so we took her in to get checked to make sure it wasn’t kennel cough (or worse, like a heart or lung problem that Dr. Google suggested). She had x-rays, and it turns out the her trachea is slightly collapsed. It happens with older small breed dogs, and while the vet gave us some cough medicine for her, there’s apparently not much you can do about it. I want to talk to another vet and do more research (because it’s sounding like steroids could help firm it back up?), but it’s something that could worsen over time. Thankfully it’s mild for now, but I worry about her.
Afternoon soup for the soul:
and a pumpkin breakfast cookie with coffee. (It was a coffee kind of day, which was much-needed after the special kind of circus that is taking a vet and a toddler to a vet appointment haha.)
Slow Cooker Greek Chicken Soup
The soup was an easy recipe I put together in the slow cooker. Liv LOVES soup (this one is her all-time favorite) and it’s an easy way for the family to get a ton of veggies.
Slow Cooker Greek Chicken Soup (with vegan option)
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (Vegan friends: ditch the chicken and try this on the stovetop with quinoa.)
- 2 bell peppers (any color), chopped
- 5 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 zucchini, diced
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced garlic
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 container (32 oz) of chicken or veggie broth
- 1 lemon
- feta cheese (optional)
- kalamata olives (optional)
- fresh oregano (optional)
Instructions
- Season chicken well with salt, pepper, oregano and garlic.
- Brown chicken on stove.
- Toss chicken and all other ingredients into crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours, then low for 4 hours.
- Before serving, top with crumbled feta, kalamata olives, squeeze of lemon and fresh oregano.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
The fall-long embrace with the slow cooker has officially begun.
Post-Zumba Scandal catch-up with the Pilot last night:
Hope everyone has a wonderful morning! See ya later today with some adventures. 🙂
Coming up tomorrow the blog:
Friday Faves (+ a healthy jewelry -it will all make sense- giveaway)
Latest Stitch Fix wins
xoxo
Gina
51 Comments
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Oh I am a huge fan of the slow cooker once fall hits! Your veggies look so appetizing! Hope Bell is feeling better!
Crock pots in the Fall are everything, thanks Gina!
Finally a slow cooker recipe! I can’t wait to try this.
What are those flats? I remember your post a while back on them and forgot the brand? Is your coupon code still valid?
they’re juil! they feel like a hug from an angel. i don’t think the code is valid anymore though :/
That soup! I want to go to there. 🙂
I hope Bella is feeling better! Adorable little thing…
I’m so jealous Tom watches Scandal with you! Josh rolls his eyes and walks away when he sees it on TV. 😉
I’m so sorry to hear about Bell! My parents have a cockapoo Bailey that is around the same age and we just found out she has a similar age related problem that will only get worse as she gets older. 🙁 It breaks my heart.
has josh actually watched it?! tom was the same way, then i got him to watch one episode with me. he likes it now!
awww sorry to hear about bailey 🙁
Same with my husband. He is hooked now that he watched a full episode!
mmm this sounds so good! I really need to utilize my slow cooker more often, I just always forget about it. I will be thinking of you and your furbaby, I hope you can get a different solution than what the vet gave you. It is always so hard when there is nothing that you can do for your babies, so I hope that some steroids can fix it (: xx
thank you, brittany <3
Oh poor Bell! She’s seems like a tough cookie in a small package though…I bet she’ll be okay!
The soup sounds amazing! I’m adding it to my menu for next week!
she has a lot of sass and strength for such a little thing 🙂
I have been loving vegetable soup lately. It is so hearty and a great way to get some delicious veggies into the diet. It balances out that slice-or 2 or 3 of cornbread
Sorry, my whole message didn’t post. I also said that I saw your FB message about the shirts and I would absolutely buy one. I love how you are sourcing the materials and love that you are manufacturing in the US. I hope this projects happens because i would love to buy a shirt!
it’s definitely going to happen. happy to hear you’re interested! i really wanted to make sure they were from an awesome source, so i’m excited to hear that so many people are on board 🙂
I can’t wait to make this soup this weekend! Fall is in full swing here in Massachusetts. I hope Bell is OK – hugs!!! Gina (from Mass)
Love a simply slow cooker! This looks great! And chicken always gets to flavorful and tender when it’s slow cooked. 🙂
That soup looks great! P.S. Loooove Scandal! I have to catch up on last week’s episode too.
Absolutely love chicken soup! I wish the weather in LA was more ‘soup-ey’! Its boiling!
This soup sounds delicious! I love oregano and thyme in a soup!
Soup looks delish! Looking forward to your new giveaway and Stitch Fix thoughts! Have a great Thursday.
Awww, poor Bell. She looks so sweet on the couch…like the dog from the Never Ending Story! That trachea thing happened to my baby Pom as he was getting older too. It was bad at first when he would get excited and bark but it did get better as he learned to relax more and not bark at everything. Dogs are the best!!! Hope she feels better soon 🙂
yes, we always think that too!!
thank you for the well wishes <3 happy to hear that pom was able to keep himself from coughing so much over time
So sorry to hear about sweet Bella! Your soup recipe looks delicious. I’m also in the mood for soup (cooking chili over here) even though it’s been in the 80s in Charlotte!
I actually know more than I want to about collapsing tracheas. One of my foster dogs, Buddy the Pug (like Buddy the Elf 🙂 ) came to us with a collapsing trachea. His cough sounded like a goose! It was petrifying at first but then I talked to my vet who basically had the same recommendations as yours. REALLY severe collapsing tracheas make it so a dog can barely eat, can’t keep food down, can’t walk, etc., without coughing attacks. It severely impacts their quality of life. It sounds like Bella’s isn’t to that level and neither was Buddy’s. Because of Buddy’s age (he was 7) and the fact that he was a smoosh-faced dog, my vet wanted to avoid surgery at all costs and because his cough did not impact his ability to do much of anything, we did avoid surgery. If a cough gets bad at certain times most vets will give you a cough suppressant.
So, long-winded way of saying a collapsing trachea USUALLY sounds worse than it really is!
that made me feel better; i’ve been so sad/worried. hers sounded like a goose honking, too. love buddy’s name btw 🙂 happy to hear that he’s doing well and avoiding surgery!
Delicious! I need a new soup recipe and slow cooker is perfect! I just got a cold this week. 🙁
Gina, I have a small pom and before I got him I was strongly advised to never put a collar on them. They should be walked with a harness only, one that is around their ribcage not neck.
I’m not sure if steroids will help honestly, I think the best thing you can do for Bell is not put pressure on her throat/neck area and only use a harness.
thank you for the tip! we switched her to her harness a couple of days ago and it’s made a difference so far!! xo
We actually just had a similiar experience with our 1 1/2 year old pup. The terrible coughing sound was heartbreaking!! The vet told us either tonsilitis or a collapsed trachea so we left with medicine and immediately purchased a harness. We saw a big difference immediately and no subsequent issues so fingers crossed Bella will have the same relief. It is so good to be aware of this problem though – I know we were pretty ignorant to it until the Vet visit and tons of research afterwards!!
Your soup sounds delicious! I will definitely be making this when it gets a little colder!
I had a Japanese Spaniel that had the exact same problem with her trachea. I first noticed it from her cough when she would get excited or run around. Hope she feels better!
Poor Bella 🙁 I hope you get some answers/options soon. I know you two have a special bond…and also know what it’s like to have a dog with a scary/unpredictable health problem. **Many hugs**
thank you. hugs to you too!
Thank you so much for adding vegan options to some of your recipes. That soup looks amazing but I don’t eat meat or cheese so I’m going to try the vegan version. THANK YOU! And I hope Bella feels better soon.
hope you love it! thank you for the well wishes <3
Prayers and good vibes to Bella!!! Hope she feels better! That Soup looks delish! I have a sweet potato chill brewing on the stove today!
thank you so much! enjoy the chili <3
I always love to read posts about Bella – but not today 🙁 My little guy Scruffy (who I have told you is Bella’s sassy little twin!) injured himself last week at puppy day care. It broke my heart to see him so quiet and not like his sassy little self! Times like these remind us how precious these furry little guys are and how fortunate we are to have them in our lives.
i remember scruffy! i’m sad to hear he injured himself. hope he’s feeling better! you’re so right; they’re such fragile things and we’re lucky to have them <3
Hi Gina, I have a Yorkie who was diagnosed with the same problem (and at a very young age at that). The vet did not prescribe any steroids but said that using a harness would help take some of the pressure off of her throat. It does seem to help and she only coughs if we forget her harness…so it’s a must-have now! Looks like you may already use a harness with Bella, so this may not be of any help to you. I hope she feels better soon <3
glad that it’s helped you guys! we have a harness for bell, and use it for walks, but recently switched it to her for 24/7 instead of the collar. i hope it helps! thank you for the well wishes.
i hope it all turns out to find a recovery plan for Bell’s trachea. I am praying for her! I have a tri-color rescue cavalier and I am worried about that for her, as well. Please post updates if you feel comfortable with that!
thank you so much- i hope so too. i will definitely post updates!
omg <3 Bell <3 praying for her and YOU and every one else. She's going to be strong and make it through, GIna. I am always here for you too!
When my passed dog had a coughing fit, it was her lung and her heart 🙁
I am praying Bell has many years with you xo
I have a 10 year old Yorkie that has had a collapsed trachea since he was a puppy. He has coughing fits and sometimes it sounds terrible (or like a little piglet), but he’s in great health and a happy dog! My thoughts are with you, but dogs can really live full lives with this ailment.
Take care!
I’m so excited for slow cooker and soup weather!! And pumpkin everything, and sweaters, and boots….fall really is the best season.
So you cook the soup on high for 2 hours and then low for 4 hours or either 2 on high or four on low?
please keep us updated on Bella!
My dog (a chihuahua) also does that, i heard its a small dog thing as well. He mostly does it when he gets too excited or eats too fast.. and he has done it most of his life! never seems to bother him, i just have to get him to calm down.
the vet first told me it was reverse sneezing, but now i’ve read about the trachea problem over the years, i am convinced it is that.
would love to hear of any other steps you take to make her better!
“It’s ok. Don’t be afraid, Bell. Maybe you won’t need a shot.” Awwww…. so sweet.
Your dress is adorable on you.