Crockpot Italian Chicken-Lentil Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 medium zucchini, chopped (2 cups)
4 medium carrots, sliced (2 cups)
1 cup dried lentils, sorted and rinsed (8 oz)
4 1/2 cups progresso reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms (3 oz)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
shredded parmesan cheese, if desired

Preparation

Remove fat from chicken. In 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker, mix remaining ingredients except mushrooms, tomatoes, basil and cheese. Add chicken.
Cover and cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.
Remove chicken from cooker; place on cutting board. Use 2 forks to pull chicken into shreds. Return chicken to cooker. Stir in mushrooms and tomatoes. Cover and cook on Low heat setting about 15 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with basil. Serve with cheese.