50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker - Lynn Alley [13]
Garnet Yam Soup with Coconut Cream
Serves 4 to 6
This fits my “good soup” requisites: made with a few simple ingredients, packed with flavor, and easy to make. Coconut cream and cilantro give the soup an Asian flair, and the rich, reddish orange soup with bright green peas makes a beautiful visual presentation.
2 tablespoons butter or ghee (see here)
1 medium onion, sliced
3 garnet (red) yams, peeled and cut into chunks
1 (15-ounce) can coconut cream
5 cups water
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
Salt
4 to 6 sprigs fresh cilantro
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 yams (without the water). Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours, or until the vegetables are soft and somewhat caramelized.
Add the coconut cream and water. Using a handheld immersion blender, puree the ingredients to the desired texture. I like to leave a few chunks in the soup. Cook for 1 to 2 hours longer, until all the ingredients are uniformly hot.
Stir in the peas, add the salt to taste, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes longer.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a sprig of cilantro and serve.
Enchilada Soup
Serves 4 to 6
My grandfather was a big enchilada man—he even made his own sauce from scratch. He learned it from the cooks on the ranch where he grew up and passed his recipe on to mom and me. Enchiladas and beans taste like home to me, so I loved the idea of this soup. It’s so delish, and I can almost see gramps smiling down from heaven.
6 dried California or New Mexico chiles
7 cups water, divided
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup dried pinto beans
4 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seed
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
Salt
1 cup tortilla chips made from stone-ground cornmeal
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese or smoked Gouda
½ cup sliced black California olives
½ cup sliced scallions
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup sour cream
Remove the seeds, stems, and veins from the chiles, then tear them into pieces. Soak them in 1 cup of the water for 2 hours or overnight.
In a large sauté pan, heat the vegetable 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.
Rinse the pinto beans and place them in the slow cooker, along with the onion and garlic, the tomatoes, and the remaining water. Puree the soaked chiles and water in a blender and pour the sauce into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for about 8 hours, or until the beans are tender. Add the cumin and oregano about 1 hour before serving. Add the salt to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Top each bowl with tortilla chips, cheese, olives, scallions, cilantro, and sour cream.
Hot and Sour Soup
Serves 4 to 6
This simple recipe for hot and sour soup is the perfect choice for a cold day or an oncoming flu. It can be put together in a matter of minutes from ingredients you probably already have on hand. Although hot and sour soups typically contain bamboo shoots, I don’t like the canned variety, so I’ve substituted water chestnuts, which have a nice crunch to them. You can also drizzle in a lightly beaten egg at the very end of cooking if you so desire.
5 cups water
1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar, or more
¼ cup tamari
1 (6-ounce) can water chestnuts
¼ teaspoon chile flakes
½ cup fresh or frozen peas
6 ounces firm tofu, diced
Toasted sesame oil
2 scallions, sliced
Place the water, mushrooms, ginger, sugar, rice vinegar, and tamari in a 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours.
Just before serving, add the water chestnuts, chile flakes, peas, tofu, and sesame oil to taste.
Ladle the soup