50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker - Lynn Alley [21]
6 cloves garlic, sliced
6 cups water
1 cup dried cannellini or other white beans
Parmesan cheese rind
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 celery ribs, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 cup sliced chard
1 cup sliced napa cabbage
1 medium zucchini, diced
Salt
¼ cup white vinegar
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
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. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes longer.
Transfer the mixture to a 7-quart slow cooker and add the water, beans, Parmesan rind, tomato paste, celery, and carrots. Cover and cook on LOW for about 8 hours, or until the beans are tender.
Thirty minutes before serving, stir in the chard, cabbage, and zucchini. Add the salt to taste and continue cooking until the zucchini is tender. Stir in the vinegar.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a sprinkling of parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Swedish Rhubarb Raspberry Soup
Serves 4 to 6
I have always been a rhubarb hound. I love its tart, fruity flavor, and as a child, I remember clamoring for my mom to make rhubarb pie; the more tart, the better. It was my favorite thing. I have since found a number of different ways to enjoy rhubarb, among them a traditional Norwegian rhubarb soup. It can be served hot, warm, or cold. And should you have any left over, you can use it as a sauce over yogurt or ice cream, or use it as a base for a delicious smoothie. You can add cinnamon if you like, but I am a purist and prefer the unadulterated rhubarb flavor. The dish is especially beautiful when served either in clear glass or white porcelain bowls.
2 pounds fresh or frozen sliced rhubarb
6 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries
½ cup sour cream or whipped cream
Honey, for drizzling
Ground cinnamon, for sprinkling
Place the rhubarb, water, and sugar in a 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for about 6 hours, or until the rhubarb has “melted.”
Using a handheld immersion blender, puree some or all of the rhubarb to your preferred texture. Add the raspberries and cook for 30 minutes longer, or until the soup is once again hot.
Serve the soup warm in bowls topped with a tablespoon of sour cream or whipped cream, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Sopa de Ajo
Serves 4 to 6
There is a Mexican restaurant in my town that specializes in caldos, or Mexican broth-based soups. Everyone goes there to get caldo on a cold day, but everyone especially goes there for take-out caldo when they feel a cold or flu coming on. All that garlic and hot broth clears the head—even if you don’t have a cold.
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
4 large heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled
6 cups water
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt
1 ripe avocado, diced
4 ounces queso fresco or feta, crumbled
l medium firm tomato, diced
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
¼ cup sliced scallions
Place the oil, onion, and garlic in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for about 6 hours or until the garlic is quite tender.
Add the water and cook for 2 hours. Using a handheld immersion blender, puree the soup. Add the lemon juice, then add the salt to taste.
To serve, place some of the avocado, cheese, and tomato in the bottom of each bowl, then ladle in the broth over the ingredients. Top each bowl with a sprinkle of cilantro and some scallions.
Spiced Spinach Dal with Coconut Milk
Serves 4 to 6
In southern India, dal is soupy and served over rice; in northern India, dal is a thicker consistency for scooping up with roti, the traditional Indian wheat flatbread. You can vary the amount of water in this recipe in accordance with whether you want a proper soup or a more stewlike consistency.
2 tablespoons ghee or oil (see here)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, slivered
1 cup dried yellow lentils
4 cups water
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon