Ingredients

3/4

pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4

pound fully cooked smoked sausage, (two 5-inch sausages), chopped

2

medium celery stalks (with leaves), sliced (1 1/4 cups)

1

large carrot, chopped (3/4 cup)

1

medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1

can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, undrained

5

cups water

2

tablespoons chicken bouillon granules

1

teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1

package (10 ounces) frozen cut okra, thawed and drained

3

cups hot cooked rice

Red pepper sauce, if desired

Preparation

Mix all ingredients except okra, rice and pepper sauce in 4- to 5-quart slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 hours 30 minutes to 7 hours or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Stir in okra. Cover and cook on low heat setting 20 minutes longer.

Spoon soup over rice in soup bowls. Serve with pepper sauce. Note:This recipe was tested in slow cookers with heating elements in the side and bottom of the cooker, not in cookers that stand only on a heated base. For slow cookers with just a heated base, follow the manufacturer’s directions for layering ingredients and choosing a temperature.