50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker - Lynn Alley [17]
Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a dollop of crème fraîche.
Minestrone
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.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup dried cannellini beans or great northern beans
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Parmesan cheese rind
1 bay leaf
5 cups water
3 celery ribs, with leaves
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup fresh spinach or chard, sliced and loosely packed
Salt
Leaves from 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
3 fresh sage leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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.
New Potato and Parsley Soup with Olive Tapenade
Serves 4 to 6
Many years ago, my mother and father gave me a Junior League of San Francisco cookbook for Christmas. There I found a simple recipe for delicious potato and parsley soup. Tarragon, dill, or even a combination of herbs would work just as well as, or in addition to, the parsley. Be sure to use organic potatoes since you will be leaving the skins on.
2 tablespoons butter or ghee (see here)
1 medium onion, chopped
1½ pounds small new or red potatoes, skins on
5 cups water
½ cup sour cream
Salt
2 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup black or green olive tapenade
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 (without the water). Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours, or until the potatoes are quite tender.
Add the water and sour cream and add the salt to taste. Using a garlic press, mince the garlic into the soup. Using a handheld immersion blender, puree some of the soup until the desired texture is reached. I like to leave lots of potato chunks for a rustic appeal.
Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes longer, just long enough to heat through. Just before serving, stir in the parsley and add the pepper to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with tapenade.
Potato, Broccoli, and Cheese Soup
Serves 4 to 6
Many years ago when I was a student, a little restaurant called Beggar’s Banquet opened a few blocks away from my home. I loved it for no other reason than they made great soups, unlike any I had ever tasted at my mother’s table. They were sort of French-style, all creamy and full of fresh vegetable flavor. Several years later, someone who knew the owners told me they were simply giving the previous day’s vegetables a whirl in the blender with a dash of cream. So simple, yet so warming and delicious.
2 tablespoons ghee or butter (see here)
½ medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 large potato, quartered
6 cups water
1 small head broccoli, quartered
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Salt
½ cup cream or sour cream
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