50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker - Lynn Alley [9]
Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly and place them in a 7-quart slow cooker. Add the onion, carrots, celery, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, chile flakes, bay leaves, and Parmesan rind. Cover and cook on LOW for about 8 hours, or until the chickpeas are tender.
Add the oregano and thyme. Using a garlic press, mince the garlic into the soup, then add the salt to taste. Using a handheld immersion blender, puree some of the mixture to thicken the soup. (I usually puree about one-quarter of the soup.)
Ladle the soup into bowls. Serve each bowl garnished with parsley and basil.
Note: To make the chiffonade, stack the basil leaves, roll them up lengthwise, then slice thinly across the roll.
Celery Root Soup
Serves 4 to 6
For centuries, root vegetables like potatoes, turnips, carrots, and rutabagas were the dietary mainstay of people throughout northern Europe during the winter when more fragile crops that grew aboveground were unobtainable. The celery root (also known as celeriac or the turnip-rooted celery), though not as widely accepted as the potato, can be found in salads and soups during the colder months of the year. It is easy to clean (peel it like you would a potato) and offers the same pleasant flavor and aroma of its stalky, leafy cousin.
2 tablespoons butter or ghee (see here)
3 medium leeks, sliced (white and pale green parts only)
1½ pounds celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
5 cups water
1 cup half-and-half or soy cream (optional)
Salt
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cut into matchsticks
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
⅓ cup inner celery leaves
In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the leeks for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Transfer the leeks to a 7-quart slow cooker and add the celery root and water. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, until the celery root is tender.
Add the half-and-half, then using a handheld immersion blender, puree the soup. Add the salt to taste. Cook for about 30 minutes longer, or until all the ingredients are hot.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top each bowl with a bit of apple, sliced celery rib, and celery leaves.
Creamy Butternut Squash, Mushroom, Prune, and Rice Soup
Serves 4 to 6
It’s an odd combination, admittedly, but I got this idea from a friend who once served skewers of prune and butternut squash grilled over an open fire at a backyard dinner party. I loved the flavors and decided to try them in a soup, accented with fresh tarragon. The results won the approval of my neighborhood taste testers, hands down.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib with leaves, finely chopped
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 ounce dried mushrooms
½ cup uncooked Arborio rice
1 cup pitted prunes, coarsely chopped
6 cups water
Salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil 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 celery, squash, mushrooms, rice, prunes, and water. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, until the squash is quite tender and the rice is done.
Add the salt to taste and stir in the tarragon and parsley. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.
Corn Chowder with Potatoes, Poblanos, and Smoked Gouda
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.
4 tablespoons butter or ghee (see here)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound small potatoes, sliced
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 cups water
4 cups fresh or frozen corn
2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, and diced, or 1 (4-ounce) can diced roasted