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Set up this Slow Cooker Light Mexican No Chicken Soup before you leave for work in the morning, and come home to a delicious, comforting meal, perfect for a cold winter night.

January 2nd. We all know what that means, right? Time for those resolutions! New year, new you… that whole thing. I personally think all the “resolutioning” could be avoided, if we just realized how beneficial a healthy,balanced LIFESTYLE is, rather than just sticking to it for a month, almost as a form of punishment. But hey, who am I to judge.

As soon as January hits, we are bombarded with magazine articles, TV and radio commercials, and of course, all kinds of social media messages promoting healthy food, healthy recipes, workouts… you know, I don’t have to tell you. But us fitness professionals I think feel it the most, once the wave of “resolutioners” start flowing into the gym. Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE it, because teaching a full class is like hitting the jackpot in our world. I just wish all those people would actually stay. Unfortunately, once February rolls around, half of them are gone, and chances are we’ll never see them again (which, by the way, makes us feel like we’ve failed miserably at our job).

This is the time when we really, really appreciate what we call our “regulars”. The people who show up every single week, who let you know how much they like your class (or how much they hate it on a particular day) and end up becoming more than just participants. They become friends.

The inspiration for this recipe actually comes from one these people.

A few weeks ago, while I was teaching my wednesday morning HIIT class, I saw Stacy, one of my students / friends sort of spacing out a little. Then she yelled something like : “sorry, I was just daydreaming about food!” We all got a good laugh of course, and kept going. Later on that day, she sent me a message telling me EXACTLY what she was daydreaming about: a Crock Pot Mexican Chicken Soup With Cheddar Cheese Chips, by Against All Grain (you can check out the recipe HERE). She told me it’s one of her favorites, and how easy it would probably be to make it vegetarian. I checked it out and indeed, it was!

Our vegan version omits the chicken obviously, but we added baby portabella mushrooms for texture and butternut squash to make it heartier. The fire roasted tomatoes and the spices make it nice and smoky, and you can adjust the amount of chipotle pepper depending on how spicy you like it. We love it with a squeeze of lime, chopped cilantro and avocado slices on top, but you can use your favorite toppings. And best of all, you can set it up in the morning and have it ready bu the time you get home. Super light and comforting… that we hope you’ll enjoy even after January ends 😉