The Great American Slow Cooker Book (12 page)

2
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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Nothing will ease the chill or maybe even that seasonal cold like a bowl of this warm soup. It will also freeze well, sealed in containers, for up to 4 months, a boon for future sniffles.

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A 1-pound head of cauliflower will yield about 3 cups of florets.

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The amount of fresh ginger for this soup is up to you; the full amount will be a bit spicy. Or use less and the soup will be easier on the throat (if you’ve got a sore one).

SHORTCUTS
Look for many of these vegetables already prepared in the produce section of your supermarket or even on the salad bar. Yes, they may cost a little more; but the convenience can outweigh the economics. Save the trouble of coring and chopping the cabbage by substituting bagged shredded cabbage.

ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
To shred cabbage, cut the head in half through the center, then cut out the tough core in each half. Slice the halves as thinly as possible, then use your fingers to pull those slices into long threads. Or cut the cabbage into wedges, core these, and shred them in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade.

1
Stir the broth, beer, potatoes, onion, thyme, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic in the slow cooker.

2
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the potato pieces are tender.

3
Stir in the cheese and hot pepper sauce. Cover and continue cooking on low for 30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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This classic American tavern soup is best the day it’s made, when the cheese is gooey and rich.

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We’re all for cheese here, just not the fake stuff, sometimes labeled “cheese food product.” If you’re going, you might as well go all the way.

SHORTCUTS
Substitute frozen grated hash browns for the potatoes. Make sure the hash browns are plain, not seasoned, though. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before adding them to the soup.

1
Stir the broth, bell peppers, onion, carrot, thyme, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.

2
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 hours, or until the vegetables are quite tender.

3
Use an immersion blender in the slow cooker, or ladle the soup in batches as necessary into a large blender; puree with the cream. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes to heat through.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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Yellow bell peppers offer a distinctly summery sweetness. Best of all, the soup freezes well, so stock up for the cold months.

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Cook the soup until the vegetables are soft, even mushy. You’re going to puree it, after all.

ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
To cut a bell pepper into strips, stand it stem up on your cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice down the sides, taking the flesh off the core as you work around the pepper until you’re left holding the stem with the chambers of seeds below. Discard this core, then slice the pieces of pepper into the requisite strips.

Serve It Up!
Garnish with pomegranate seeds or dehydrated vegetables of any sort, like those green bean bits or bell pepper pieces found in most supermarkets. Or go really simple and decorate the top of each bowlful with a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil and two saffron threads.

1
Mix the broth, leeks, potatoes, butter, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours, or until the potatoes are very soft.

2
Stir in the cream. Use an immersion blender in the slow cooker, or ladle the soup in batches as necessary into a large blender to puree until smooth. Stir in the chervil (if using), cover, and cook on low for 15 minutes to heat through.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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Exceptionally simple, this soup makes a straightforward, fuss-free meal. But to take it over the top, substitute chicken fat or even duck fat for the butter—and while you’re at it, garnish the bowlfuls with fried chicken skin.

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russet or other baking potatoes will have the right balance of starch, so that the soup tastes rich when pureed.

ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
Leeks are prone to sandy grit, particularly in the interior layers. To remove the grit, cut off and discard the tough upper leaves, then slice the white and pale green part in half lengthwise. Rinse under cool tap water, separating the inner layers to flush out the grit. Yep, you’ll dope the vegetable with moisture; you can pull most of that out over the heat.

Serve It Up!
Garnish the bowls with shredded Cheddar cheese, crumbled crisp bacon, slivered sun-dried tomatoes, diced radishes, or even diced firm pears. Each will take the soup in a different direction. Or offer them all at the table and let each person customize a bowlful.

1
Stir the broth, orzo, onion, bell pepper, oregano, dill, capers, garlic, lemon zest, and salt in the slow cooker.

2
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the pasta is tender.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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If you like a thinner soup, double the broth in this herb-heavy recipe.

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Use whole wheat orzo for a firmer texture.

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For a treat, omit the salt and add minced anchovy fillets instead: up to 1 fillet for the small slow cooker, 2 for a medium one, and 3 for a large. The tiny bits will melt into the soup, giving it a salty, sophisticated taste.

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Orzo (
OR-zoh
, Italian for “barley”) is a small pasta shaped like large rice grains.

1
Stir the broth, butternut squash, carrots, celery, lemon juice, paprika, and salt in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 7 hours, or until the vegetables are very soft.

2
Puree the soup with an immersion blender right in the slow cooker; or ladle the soup into a large blender, working in batches as necessary, and puree it before returning it to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes to heat through. Serve with a pat of butter on each bowlful, if desired.