50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker (4 page)

Serves 4 to 6

Because
corn
chowder is usually made with smoked bacon, I like to add smoked salt and a
smoked Gouda
to this soup instead. If the
potatoes
are organic (and I hope they are; you don’t want to know what kind of heinous fumigants are used on conventionally farmed potatoes), leave the skins on them for extra flavor and a more rustic feel.

In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the onion for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Transfer the onion to a 7-quart slow cooker and add the potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and water. Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender.

Mash some of the potatoes against the inside of the cooker or use a handheld immersion blender to puree a small amount of potato and thicken the soup slightly.

Add the corn, chiles, half-and-half, and ¾ cup of the cheddar. Add the salt to taste and continue cooking for 20 to 30 minutes, or just until all the ingredients are hot.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each bowl with the remaining cheddar and chopped chives.

Serves 4 to 6

Albert and Frances Lundberg
, having seen the ravages of poor, shortsighted farming methods on the land of Nebraska in the
Depression-era Dust Bowl
, moved their family to California’s Sacramento Valley in 1937 and planted rice. They impressed upon their sons the great importance of caring for the soil and went on to pioneer organic rice growing in America, going so far as to develop some of their own unique varieties of aromatic rice. I have enjoyed experimenting with their high-quality traditional rice such as basmati, Arborio, and classic brown, as well as some more unusual varieties, such as their Black Japonica and red Wehani. This recipe calls for my favorite: Countrywild, a blend of Wehani, brown rice, and Black Japonica. The soup has a fairly mild flavor and really depends upon the addition of the freshly grated Parmesan cheese for character and oomph.

Thoroughly rinse the rice and the mushrooms in separate containers and set them aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and rice and cook for 3 minutes longer.

Transfer the mixture to a 7-quart slow cooker and add the mushrooms, carrots, celery, bay leaf, Parmesan rind, and water. Cover and cook on LOW for about 6 hours, or until the rice is quite tender.

Stir in the cream, peas, 2 tablespoons of the tarragon, and the seasoning sauce and continue to cook for 30 minutes longer, until hot. Stir in the salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve topped with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons of tarragon.

Serves 4 to 6

I’ve made great artichoke soups with frozen artichoke hearts and with canned artichoke hearts. Both have been easy and satisfying. But as the first flowers of spring are emerging after a wonderful, rainy winter, and
artichokes
are making their appearance in the produce markets, I want to make a soup with the real deal: fresh artichokes. Medium-size mature artichokes can easily stand 4 to 6 hours of cooking and yield a soup of more interesting texture and flavor than soups from frozen or canned varieties.

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Transfer the mixture to a 7-quart slow cooker and add the potatoes, artichokes, and water. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, until the artichokes are very tender.

Using a handheld immersion blender, puree the ingredients. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste. Additional water may be needed; add it to achieve the texture and thickness you desire.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with a sprinkling of herbs.

Note:
Contrary to what you might imagine,
preparing
the artichokes isn’t all that difficult. Just snap off the tough outer leaves until you get down to the creamy, softer leaves, and cut off the tops of the artichokes, leaving about 1 inch of leaf. Then cut the artichokes into quarters and scoop out their centers (all the fuzzy and prickly stuff) and drop them into the slow cooker with water in it. And in this case, the “cream” in the soup is supplied by potatoes!

Serves 4 to 6

I’ve always enjoyed garlic, so much that I once went to the
Gilroy Garlic Festival
just to see what all the fuss was about. I ate garlic ice cream and garlic-filled chocolates and garlic chocolate chip cookies. So I guess I would never write a soup book without at least one or two garlic soup recipes. This one is quite mild and creamy.

Place the olive oil, garlic, onion, and leeks in a 7-quart slow cooker (without any water). Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours, or until the onion and garlic are golden.

Sprinkle the flour evenly over the onion, add the water, and stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours longer, or until the leeks are tender.

Add the half-and-half, and using a handheld immersion blender, puree some of the ingredients to the texture you desire. Stir in the lemon juice and sherry, and add the salt to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each bowl with Parmesan cheese and chives.

Serves 4 to 6

Somehow when I think of mushroom soups and stews, I think of France and northern Italy. But this is silly.
Mushrooms
of one type or another grow all over the world, and they regularly turn up in the cuisine of nearly every country on earth. India is no exception, yet few of us have experienced a good Indian meal involving mushrooms. This may be a first for you, just as it once was for me.

In a large sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat and sauté the onion for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Rinse the mushrooms thoroughly and place them, along with the onion, carrots, tomatoes, and water in a 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours.

Grind the cumin, fennel, coriander, cardamom, cloves, and peppercorns and add them to the soup. Continue cooking for 30 minutes longer. Add the salt to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of chile and cilantro.

Serves 4 to 6

Cuban culinary traditions reflect the Spanish, African, and Caribbean roots of the island’s population. Beans and rice, as in most Spanish-rooted cultures, are popular. And in Cuba, some kind of root vegetable is often added to the meal. Traditionally, this colorful, hearty soup can be made with pork bones or meat, but the same soup without the oinker is cheaper and even more true to its ingredient flavors and colors. This recipe yields a very thick soup, so add water if you’d like a thinner version. If you’re pressed for time, you could put all the ingredients in at one time, but adding the
sweet potato
after the beans are mostly cooked helps to preserve its texture and color.

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the celery and carrots and cook for 2 minutes longer.

Transfer the mixture to a 7-quart slow cooker and add the tomatoes, black beans, and water. Cover and cook on LOW for about 6 hours.

Add the sweet potato, bell pepper, cumin, bay leaf, oregano, and cinnamon and continue to cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours longer, until the beans and sweet potato are quite tender.

Using a garlic press, mince the garlic into the soup. Add the chile flakes and salt to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each with jalapeños and avocado.