50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker (6 page)

Serves 6 to 8

I love black beans, but most black bean soup recipes are fairly predictable: beans, carrots, celery, maybe some thyme, maybe a ham hock. I wanted a black bean soup that’s a little different, so I took an Eastern approach, adding
soy sauce
and ginger. It is important to use low-sodium soy sauce, since full sodium is likely to be overwhelming.

In a large sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil and sauté the onion for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes longer.

Transfer the mixture to a 7-quart slow cooker and add the beans, water, soy sauce, and honey. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, until the beans are tender.

Using a handheld immersion blender, puree the beans. Stir in the sesame oil. Check the seasoning and add the salt if needed.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each with scallions and sesame seed.

Serves 4 to 6

At a motel in Davis, California, I noticed that beans, eggplants, peas,
tomatoes
, basil, and cilantro had been planted around an outbuilding. Suspecting the handiwork of some Italian gardener, I was surprised one morning to discover an elderly lady dressed in a lovely sari tending the garden. She was the proprietor’s mother. Wonderful and very unique dishes can be created using the same ingredients, just in different parts of the world with slightly different signature seasonings. This is one such dish.

In a large sauté pan, melt the ghee over medium heat and sauté the onion for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the ginger and cook for 2 minutes longer.

Transfer the mixture to a 7-quart slow cooker and add the tomatoes, cumin, mustard seed, and cinnamon. Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours longer.

Just before serving, use a garlic press to mince the garlic into the soup, and add the salt to taste. Using a handheld immersion blender, puree the soup to the desired texture. I like to leave some texture.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each with cilantro, coconut, and a sprinkling of chile.

Serves 4 to 6

Here is a lima bean soup with an Indian twist to it. This combination of rice and limas provides a source of complete protein and is easy to make. In case you hadn’t noticed, I love to juxtapose the textures, colors, and flavors of cooked ingredients with raw. Doing so makes for a more interesting dish. It makes me feel as if I am getting something that is nourishing (because it is hot) and very healthful and exciting (the raw, crunchy stuff).

In a large sauté pan, melt the ghee 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 beans, rice, mustard seed, turmeric, coriander, carrots, and water. Cover and cook on LOW for about 6 hours, or until the beans are tender.

Stir in the spinach and dill and add the salt to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Serve each with a dollop of yogurt.

Serves 4 to 6

Although most Americans have tasted barley only in soup, it bears an honorable place in the survival and proliferation of mankind. Its natural range runs all the way from Crete in the west to Tibet in the east—quite some range, wouldn’t you say? And even today it remains the dietary mainstay of the Tibetan people. It has been used to make beer, spirits, flour, and bread, aside from its more common use in soups and stews. I love the way barley feels in my mouth. Those little grains with their slightly resistant texture, swimming around in a nice, rich, and in this case, mushroomy broth, are the perfect thing for a cold night or a rainy day.

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onion for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the barley, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes longer.

Transfer the mixture to a 7-quart slow cooker and add the mushrooms, bay leaf, seasoning sauce, and water. Cover and cook on LOW for about 6 hours, or until the barley is tender. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with yogurt and a generous sprinkling of dill.

Serves 4 to 6

Mexican dishes often feature various combinations of chile with citrus juice added at the last minute. This is a tomatoey picante soup that will appeal to those who love bold flavors. I pass it around when anyone in my house has a cold, as I view its fresh flavors, dash of garlic, and vitamin C content as good medicine. I would suggest serving it with a quesadilla filled with smoked Gouda or queso fresco and vegetables—sort of the Mexican equivalent of
tomato
soup with toasted cheese sandwiches.

In a large measuring cup or bowl, soak the chiles in the water for about 2 hours or overnight, or until soft. Puree in a blender until smooth.

Place the chile puree, onion, and tomatoes in a 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours, or until the tomatoes and onion are quite soft.

Add the orange juice and, using a garlic press, mince the garlic into the soup. Using a handheld immersion blender, puree the ingredients to the desired texture. Add the salt to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with cilantro, scallions, cheese, and a sprinkle of orange zest.

Serves 4 to 6

Pimentón
is one of Spain’s most interesting agricultural products, and its smoky flavor is characteristically found in many Spanish dishes. The combination of smoky paprika,
potatoes
, and
mushrooms
gives this soup a decidedly earthy, warming flavor.

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 cook for 2 minutes longer.

Transfer the mixture to a 7-quart slow cooker and add the mushrooms and potatoes. Cover and cook on LOW (without the water) for about 2 hours.

Add the water and cook for 2 to 3 hours longer, until the potatoes are quite tender. Stir in the paprika and add the salt to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a dollop of crème fraîche.

Serves 6 to 8

Unarguably, this is one of Italy’s most famous staple dishes. It’s made everywhere, and the ingredients vary from season to season and region to region, as well as from cook to cook. Feel free to improvise—this is just a good starting point for Italian comfort food. Although it’s not traditionally done this way, I like adding the herbs and garlic near the end of the cooking time so that they remain fresh and alive in taste.

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

Rinse the beans thoroughly and add them to the slow cooker along with the onion, tomatoes, Parmesan rind, bay leaf, and water. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, until the beans are tender.

Add the celery, potato, carrots, and spinach, and salt to taste. Cook for 1 to 2 hours longer, until the potato is tender. Stir in the rosemary and sage. Using a garlic press, mince the garlic into the soup.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.