Slow cooker season: Easy ingredients to throw in a pot & 6 tasty recipes!

There’s something about November that makes you want to reach for the slow cooker.

The evenings get darker, the temperature drops, and suddenly a big bowl of something warm and nourishing sounds much more appealing than a cold salad.

The best bit? Slow cooking makes it ridiculously easy to get a variety of nutritious ingredients into one meal. Chuck everything in one pot, leave it to do its thing, and come back to dinner.

But there’s another reason we love slow cooker meals: they’re a brilliant opportunity to add more variety to your diet.

Your gut microbes thrive on dietary variety, particularly different types of plant foods. Vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices all provide different types of fibre and beneficial plant compounds.

So, if you’re looking for easy ways to support your gut health this autumn-winter, we’ve put together six delicious gut-friendly slow cooker recipes to add to your weekly meal rotation.

From hearty lentil stew to creamy chicken congee and warming apple and pear porridge, there’s something here for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

What makes a slow cooker meal gut-friendly?

You don’t need to make every meal complicated. A simple formula is:

1 protein + 3-5 plants + 1 legume or whole grain + herbs and spices + stock

= a pretty good gut-friendly dinner.

Some of our favourite ingredients to throw into the pot include:

Root vegetables – carrots, parsnips, swede, beetroot, squash and sweet potato all add fibre and plenty of plant goodness.

Beans and lentils – great sources of fibre and plant protein. If you’re not used to eating legumes, start with smaller portions and build up gradually.

Mushrooms – shiitake, oyster, chestnut, and maitake mushrooms contain beta-glucans and other interesting compounds.

Onions and garlic – packed with flavour and fermentable fibres. They’re brilliant for your gut microbes, although they can be troublesome for some people with IBS, so portion size matters.

Herbs and spices – ginger, turmeric, rosemary, thyme, cumin and cinnamon are an easy way to add more plant compounds and flavour to your meals.

Whole grains – pearl barley, oats, brown rice, millet and amaranth can add extra fibre, depending on the recipe.

Stock or bone broth – the key to a really flavourful slow-cooked meal. It adds depth and richness to your stews, soups and congee. Yum!

*Secret ingredient – Something I love adding to slow cooker meals is a splash of vinegar at the beginning of cooking. Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or rice vinegar can all give stews a little extra depth and tanginess.

Or, if you fancy trying something different, why not experiment with our Ana’s Farmacy Vinegars, which already contain a delicious combination of herbs and spices?

Now, let’s get cooking!

1. Cosy autumn vegetable & lentil stew

This is the ultimate throw-everything-in-the-pot dinner!

Serves 4.

You’ll need:

2 carrots, chopped
1 small butternut squash, cubed
150g red lentils
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
A couple of handfuls of spinach
750ml vegetable stock
1 TSP turmeric
1 TSP dried rosemary
1 TSP dried thyme
Black pepper

Method:

Add everything except the spinach to your slow cooker and cook on low for around 6-7 hours or until the vegetables and lentils are soft.

Stir through the spinach for the last few minutes and season to taste.

2. Slow cooker chicken, leek & mushroom stew

A proper autumn comfort meal!

Creamy, warming and packed with vegetables, this chicken stew is perfect when you fancy something hearty without spending ages in the kitchen.

Serves 4

You’ll need:

500g chicken thighs
100g mushrooms, sliced
2 leeks, sliced
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
500ml chicken stock
1 TSP dried thyme
1 TSP dried rosemary
Black pepper
A splash of double cream or crème fraîche, optional

Method:

Add the chicken, mushrooms, leeks, carrots, celery, stock and herbs to your slow cooker.

Cook on low for around 6-7 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

Shred the chicken with two forks and stir through a little cream or creme fraiche if you’d like it richer.

Serve with potatoes, pearl barley or a chunk of wholegrain bread.

Fancy a twist? Sometimes I like giving this one an Asian-inspired twist. I’ll add some freshly grated ginger at the beginning of cooking, then stir through a splash of soy sauce or a spoonful of miso towards the end. It gives the stew a lovely savoury, umami flavour.

3. Pumpkin, chickpea & coconut curry

Pumpkin isn’t just for Halloween!

This warming curry is packed with autumnal goodness and is particularly good when you want something hearty without meat.

Serves 4

You’ll need:

500g pumpkin or butternut squash, cubed
1 tin chickpeas, drained
1 tin coconut milk
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 handfuls spinach
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 TSP turmeric
1 TSP cumin
1 TSP mild curry powder
100ml of vegetable stock
Black pepper
Squeeze of lime to finish

Method:

Add everything except the spinach to the slow cooker.

Cook on low for around 5-6 hours.

Stir through the spinach before serving and add a squeeze of lime if you fancy it.

Serve with brown rice or another whole grain.

Chuckling Goat tip: If you enjoy a little extra texture, scatter some toasted pumpkin seeds over the top before serving.

4. Slow cooker beef, root vegetable & barley stew

Sometimes you just need a proper, classic bowl of stew.

This one is packed with seasonal vegetables and pearl barley for a hearty autumn dinner.

Serves 4

You’ll need:

500g stewing beef
2 carrots, chopped
2 parsnips, chopped
1/2 swede, cubed
2 celery sticks, chopped
100g pearl barley
1 onion, chopped
750ml beef stock
1 TSP dried rosemary
1 TSP dried thyme
Black pepper

Method:

Add everything to your slow cooker and give it a good stir.

Cook on low for around 7-8 hours, until the beef is tender and the vegetables are soft.

Serve piping hot with some fresh herbs scattered over the top.

Chuckling Goat tip: Add a handful of chopped kale during the final 10–20 minutes of cooking for an extra leafy-green boost.

5. Slow cooker chicken & millet congee

This is one of my go-to’s recently: congee.

Congee is a simple, warming dish made by slowly cooking grains with plenty of liquid until they become soft and creamy. It’s perfect for a chilly morning, a cosy lunch or one of those evenings when you want something comforting and simple.

You can make congee with rice, millet or even amaranth, depending on what you have in the cupboard. You can also switch things up and make it savoury or sweet!

Serves 4

You’ll need:

100g millet
300g chicken thighs
1 litre of chicken stock or water
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 leek, finely sliced
1 thumb-sixed piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tsp turmeric
Black pepper
A handful of spinach or kale
Fresh herbs or spring onion, to serve

Method:

Add everything expect the spinach or kale and toppings to your slow cooker.

Cook on low for around 5-7 hours, until the millet is soft and creamy and the chicken is tender. If it becomes thicker than you’d like, simply add a little more stock or water.

Remove and shred the chiken, then stir it back through the congee.

Add the spinach or kale for the final 10-20 minutes, then serve with fresh herbs or spring onion.

It’s a simple way to combine a whole grain, protein and several vegetables in one warming bowl. Plus, you can easily change the ingredients depending on what’s in your kitchen.

6. Slow cooker apple, pear & cinnamon porridge

Who says the slow cooker is only for dinner?

This makes a wonderfully warming breakfast for chilly mornings – and your kitchen will smell amazing while it’s cooking!

Serves 2-3

You’ll need:

100g oats
2 apples, chopped
1 pear, chopped
500ml milk or plant milk
250ml water
1 TSP cinnamon
1 TBSP chia or ground flaxseed
A handful of berries, to serve
A handful of nuts or seeds, to serve

Method:

Add the oats, apples, pear, milk, water and cinnamon to your slow cooker.

Cook on low for around 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally if possible, until creamy.

Top with berries, nuts and seeds.

El also makes an amazing version of this breakfast! Check out her recipe for Apple, Pear and Orange Zest Porridge.

Chuckling Goat tip: For an extra fibre boost, add a sprinkle of our Complete Prebiotic after cooking.

How to make your slow cooker meals even better for your gut

You don’t actually need a recipe every time.

Next time you’re staring into the fridge wondering what to make, try this:

Protein → Vegetables → Beans or whole grains → Herbs & spices → Stock → Slow cooker.

That’s it!

And don’t be afraid to change things around. Swap carrots for parsnips, chickpeas for lentils, chicken for pork, mushrooms for another vegetable or pearl barley for brown rice.

Your gut microbes don’t need culinary perfection. They just need variety.

If you liked these recipes check out:

Gut-friendly one-pot stew

Aash-e Jow (Persian barley, rice, and bean soup)

Sweet Potato Soup for the soul

Any questions? Contact one of our Nutritional Therapists via live chat, weekdays from 8am to 8pm.