“I love BBQ sauce and I also love homemade soups, especially my grandma’s chicken noodle and vegetable,” says Griffin. “When I was thinking about my recipe I thought, why not make a BBQ vegetable soup? I love red and yellow peppers, so I knew I wanted to add them to the recipe. My mom loves slow cooker recipes for our busy family of six. My parents and I worked on the recipe together to come up with what I like to call a Storm of Deliciousness.” This recipe uses a slow cooker. If you don’t have one, slowly simmer the soup ingredients in a pot for 1 hour or more. - Griffin Storm, Age 8, South Dakota

Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients:

For the BBQ Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 5 tablespoons tomato purée
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 5 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

For the Soup:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 (10.8-ounce) bag frozen corn
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
• ¼ red onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups BBQ sauce (see recipe for our homemade BBQ sauce)
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• Reduced-fat sour cream, for serving
• Reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

Equipment: Slow cooker

Preparation:

1. To make the BBQ sauce: In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and sauté for about 10 minutes.
2. To make the Chicken Soup: Place uncooked chicken breasts in a large slow cooker. Add corn, black beans, red and yellow bell peppers, mushrooms, and red onion.
3. In a separate bowl, mix 2 cups BBQ sauce, chicken broth, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Pour the BBQ sauce mixture into the slow cooker, covering the chicken and vegetables completely. Cook, covered, on high heat for 6 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken breasts, and shred the chicken. Place the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and stir. Keep the lid off for the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Serve topped with sour cream or cheddar cheese. 

461 calories; 12g fat; 42g carbohydrates; 48g protein

Learn more:

• Check out highlights from the each Kids’ “State Dinner”
• View the 2015 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” Cookbook