Lentil Minestrone Soup Recipe

I had a cold last week. I'm better now, but there were a few days there when I was pretty much certain that I was going to choke to death on my own snot. 

(lovely, just lovely, steph...)

Anyway. I really wanted a soup to soothe my throat and to make me feel loved and taken care of. Since I'm home during the day with an almost-three-year-old, there wasn't anybody available to make me soup, so I did it myself (I promise I washed my hands really well first!).

But by the time it was finished cooking, I was back to bed, and was served ---- complete with a Thomas the Tank spoon.

I love my family.

and you'll love this soup. It's easy to throw together, uses household staples, and freezes and reheats VERY well. I kept it vegetarian, but Adam suggests I throw in a hambone next time. Sliced smoked sausage would be awesome, too.

If you'd like a soupier soup, add more broth 30 minutes or so before serving.



The Ingredients.
serves 6


2 cups lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juice!)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups hearty torn greens, like kale or chard (if you'd prefer spinach, stir in before serving)
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (optional: add another 1 to 2 cups of broth if you'd like before serving)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the rinsed lentils into the bottom of an empty insert. Add the diced celery, carrot, onion, and garlic (if you have a food processor, it might be helpful to use). Add the entire can of diced tomatoes, and add the seasonings and torn greens. Stir in the broth (I used chicken, but any broth will work just fine).
Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the lentils are soft. If you'd like to stretch this to feed more, or for a thinner soup, feel free to add more broth.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired, and a hunk of garlic bread.

The Verdict.

I ate this for all my meals 3 days in a row and was HEALED(!) from the WORST cold, ever!
that, and I may have taken some Nyquil....


other minestrone soups you might like:
Italian Minestrone
Clean-Out-The-Pantry Minestrone
Pesto Minestrone
Traditional Minestrone



In case you missed it, I'm fortunate to be able to offer an updated Ninja Cooking System package to you, and we are still running daily giveaways to help with your holiday shopping!



have a wonderful week!

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Tangy Black Bean Soup Slow Cooker Recipe

I can't believe I hardly posted during Crocktober. Someone should really take away my internet license. If you are joining me from the east coast, please know that I'm thinking of you and hope that you are reading this somewhere in a safe, well-lit, cozy, and dry place. 

If you are able to do so, here is the information to donate to The Red Cross to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy.  Every little bit helps. Thank you. 


I've got a beautiful, velvety black bean soup for you today. The tang comes from three kinds of citrus-- lemon, lime, and orange. You can prepare this completely and totally vegan by using veggie broth, and steer clear from the liquified chicken that I used  (I already had it in the pantry).

We share the leftovers with my friend Jenny, and she reported back that the lemon twist at the end was a nice surprise and a great flavor combo.

The Ingredients.

serves 8

1 pound black beans, soaked overnight and drained

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1 orange, juiced

1 lime, juiced

4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable!!)

1 lemon, sliced in wedges for serving (not pictured in the ingredients, and the one pictured in the final shot looks like a lime because I plunked it right off the tree and it wasn't ripe yet! oops.)

The Directions. 

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the soaked and drained black beans into your slow cooker.

for a quick soak method: place dried beans into a large saucepan on the stovetop with a bunch of fresh water. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes, then turn off heat and cover the pot. Let the beans sit for at least one hour before draining.

 Add the tomatoes, garlic, bell pepper, and all dried spices. Now add the orange and lime juices, and stir in the broth until the spices and broth are completely distributed. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the beans are completely soft. Blend with a hand-held stick blender (I use this one, but mine is white) or carefully scoop the soup into a traditional blender and pulse until the soup is fully blended.

Serve each bowl with a lemon wedge, to use at the table for an even more pronounced burst of citrus.

The Verdict.

This soup feels like a vacation in a bowl. The bit of heat from the chipotle chile powder is washed away by the fresh citrusy tang. My whole family loved this soup, as did our neighbors! I kept my soup pretty light, but Adam and the kids added cheese, sour cream, and avocado slices to their bowls (and Tostitos scoop chips....).

I hope you had a very happy and safe Halloween. My kids all went out, although the baby (now 2 1/2) really just wanted to stay home and eat loads of candy. I somehow scheduled orthodontist appointments for my big kids later today, so they really did a top-notch job of flossing and brushing last night --- which makes me wonder if I should just make this a standing appointment? Hmmmmm.

In honor of NINJEMBER (it's okay to groan and roll your eyes....), click on over to the review page---- I've got a Ninja Cooking System giveaway up, just for you. Good luck to all, and happy slow cooking!!

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Smoky Turkey and Black Bean Soup

Happy Crocktober!! 

This is my absolute favorite time of the year. Not only is it officially Slow Cooking Season, the leaves are crunchy, and the pumpkins are out. It's still too hot, here, to wear bulky sweaters --- but I've got them pulled out from under-the-bed storage and on the ready.

Today's soup was an inspiration from a recipe my mom printed out from Cooking.com. I liked the idea of using cooked bacon for the smoky flavor, but didn't want to thaw any out and actually cook it -- so I improvised and used Liquid Smoke (and cut out a bunch of fat, too!).  I also used fresh instead of deli turkey and omitted the cocoa powder.


The soup I ended up with is perfect. I gobbled (ha! that wasn't even a premeditated turkey reference!) down a bowl and a half before Adam came home with the kids from soccer practice, then sat and ate another full bowl with them at the table. (I didn't want to tell them that I already ate. That would be rude, and I'm a very polite person...)

The Ingredients
serves 6 (freezes well!)

1.5 pounds turkey cutlets
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach (no need to thaw)
1 cup frozen corn
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans (use the whole can; there's no additional salt added)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (the whole can)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
4 cups chicken broth
(salt to taste if needed at the table)

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. I didn't pre-brown anything--- this is a complete dump and go recipe, and can be left for a long period of time. Load everything into the cooker---- there's really no need to follow a certain order; it's soup. It's all going to get stirred around anyway.
Cover, and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours; I cooked ours on low for exactly 8 hours.
Remove turkey cutlets with tongs, and shred the meat completely. Return to the pot and stir well. If desired (I did do this), pulse a few times with a hand-held immersion blender to naturally thicken the broth. If you don't have a hand-held immersion blender, you can remove a cup of the soup and blend it in a traditional blender, then return to the pot and stir to combine.

The Verdict

The smoky flavor really comes through, and makes the house smell absolutely wonderful while it's cooking. I liked how the spinach mixed around with the beans and the corn -- my kids didn't try to pick out the spinach at all, but instead happily ate their dinner. I served drop biscuits made from Pamela's gluten free baking mix on the side.

Enjoy your Crocktober! Remember to check out the daily giveaways, and sign up to have them come to your inbox so you never miss out! 

past Crocktober favorites:
zesty burger soup
orange beef
Italian Rice
vegetarian tortilla soup
sausage and lentil stew
oreo cheesecake
tex mex potroast
vegetarian stuffed bell peppers
turtle pudding

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Slow Cooker Matzo Ball Soup

I made my very first Matzo Ball Soup yesterday. In the crockpot.

I called my friend Jennifer and she talked me through how to make the broth and Matzo dough--she's not gluten free, but after a lot of googling and texting to confirm my hard-core journalistic researching I figured out what I should do.

AND IT WORKED.

[insert Crush voice from Finding Nemo] I SO TOTALLY ROCK.

This is a 2-day process, or at least a really, really full day process. First we're going to make the homemade chicken broth/soup.

The Ingredients
serves 6-8

   

3 pounds bone-in chicken parts
2 onions, peeled, cut into quarters
6 cloves garlic, peeled with cloves intact
1 cup baby carrots
3 ribs celery, cut in large chunks, leaves okay
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon kosher salt
12 cups water
1 package gluten free matzo ball mix, or make your own (recipe below)

gluten free matzo balls
makes 8-10 or so

  
1/2 cup finely ground almond meal
1/2 cup potato starch
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons dill
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Use a hand-held or stand mixer to blend the ingredients together to form a dough. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before using in soup.

The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker.  Place the chicken into your slow cooker. I used chicken quarters, and did try to take as much of the skin off as I can (because of my weird issues). Add vegetables and seasoning. Pour in a bunch of water (4 cups per pound of chicken)—be careful, your pot will be quite full. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Unplug the slow cooker, and let it sit for 3 hours, or until the meat is cool enough to handle.

Remove meat from pot, and discard the bones. Scoop out the vegetables and set aside. Some people prefer their matzo soup to be simply broth, some like chunks of meat and vegetables—it’s up to you. I decided to get rid of the onion and celery (the garlic kind of melted into a paste), but kept the chicken and carrots.  

Strain the broth through a cheesecloth or fine-mesh sieve to remove the peppercorns and extra bits. Return the broth to the slow cooker.

Plug the cooker back in and cook on high for 2 hours. While the broth is reheating, mix the matzo dough (if using packaged matzo, prepare according to the written instructions).

Homemade matzo dough.  Don't handle it too much; you want it light and fluffy

Once your soup is hot, drop rounded spoonfuls of matzo into your slow cooker. Cover, and cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through and “bounces” in the broth when poked with a spoon.

the matzo balls bounce when you poke them with a spoon!

Serve and enjoy!

The Verdict
I must admit, since I've never had this soup before, I don't have anything to compare it to. But we liked it. The five in my family ate every last smidgen in our bowls, and I packaged up a little tupperware to send home to my mom and grandma. I really liked the dill flavor. Everytime I cook with dill, I'm reminded more and more that it's such an under-utilized herb in my pantry. I hope you enjoy this soup--I look forward to making it again and again in the years to come.

Thank you to Jennifer, for holding my hand (AGAIN)!

other recipes you might like:
chicken and dumpling soup
apple dumplings
honey cake
sweet mustard roast 
I just Spent The Whole Day on Pinterest...

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New England Clam Chowder in the Slow Cooker

I feel very lucky that we live pretty close to the coast. If we hopped in the car, we'd see the ocean within 15 minutes --- that's pretty cool.

I'm kind of embarrassed that we don't take advantage of this as often as we should. 

My kids love the beach. Adam loves the beach. I love the beach. 

Yet most of our weekends are filled with boring stuff like Costco runs, random sporting events, assorted kid birthday parties, and Drop Dead Diva marathons on Netflix (oh Drop Dead Diva, how did I only just now discover how completely awesome you are?).

So I brought the beach to us. No mess, no sandy feet, and no bird poop.

(and it totally rained this entire weekend anyway.)

The Ingredients.

serves 6

there's no half-and-half in this picture. I didn't buy it yet!

1/2 pound bacon, cooked and diced

1 (6.5-ounce) can minced clams, drained

5 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 cup sliced celery

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups half-and-half (or you could use heavy cream)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (to add later)

optional: bread bowls for serving. If you're gluten free, I've made them myself by using boxed bread mix, then plopping 4 round dough blobs on a piece of parchment paper--they bake right up, and are perfect!

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Brown the bacon on the stovetop, and drain the accumulated grease (I saved bacon from breakfast-- about 6 4 slices (I accidentally ate a few...)

Put the bacon into your crockpot, and add clams. Add all the vegetables and spices and pour in the broth. Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the onion is translucent and the potatoes squish easily with a fork.

Use a hand-held stick blender and pulse a few times to naturally thicken the soup. Stir in half and half and shredded cheese. Ladle into wide-mouthed bowls or bread bowls.

The Verdict.

This is an awesome chowder. The canned clams really do a great job of flavoring the broth and the soup, and are terribly inexpensive, and will keep in the pantry for a long time. They're a great canned item to keep on hand. My kids lapped up their servings and played with their new art supplies. 

While I cried. Because of Drop Dead Diva.

other stuff you might like:

fish chowder

canned soup in the Little Dipper

Crab and Corn Soup

Kiwi Crate Art Box Review

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Italian Minestrone Soup in the Slow Cooker

 

The temperature has followed the clock's lead, and has turned back a notch. It's officially cold outside, and we're ready for soup season.

mmm.

There is something terribly soothing about minestrone soup--- regardless of your age, curling up with a bowl of hearty soup is as if you're being cuddled from the inside.

simply lovely.

The Ingredients.

serves 6-8

1 pound lean ground meat: pork, beef, or turkey. I used beef.

4 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 cup chopped carrot

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced or stewed tomatoes

1 tablespoon dried oregano

4 cups beef broth

2/3 cup dried elbow pasta (to add later; I used Tinkyada brand which is gluten free)

kosher salt (add to taste at the table)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Brown the first four ingredients on the stovetop, and drain the fat. I know, I hate cooking before I cook too, but this is a good thing because you're draining the rendered grease/fat.

Add meat to the slow cooker, and your vegetables. Add the whole can of tomatoes, the oregano, and beef broth. Stir to combine. Cover, and cook on low for 8 hours. 30 minutes before serving, stir in the dry pasta. Flip to high, and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until pasta has become bite-tender.

Serve in wide-mouthed bowls with a bit of shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

The Verdict.

I served this soup last week to my family of five, my parents, and my grandma. We didn't have any leftovers. I am  beginning to really prefer beef broth to chicken in my heartier soups that have tomatoes--- it's just a more rich flavor.

If you plan on freezing this soup, I wouldn't add the noodles until you reheat and serve; they'll break up on you in the freezer.

additional soup season favorites:

Albondigas Soup

Tortilla Soup

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Doro Wat

Black Bean Soup

Corn Chowder

Clean out the Pantry Minestrone

End of Summer Harvest Soup

African Peanut Soup

GIVEAWAY!! I'm hosting a giveaway for Chime.In over on the review page, and I have a FREE Amazon Kindle Fire for a lucky (randomly selected) winner!

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How to Make Vegetable Broth Using Your Slow Cooker

Yum! A big bowl of brown liquid!



It's spring break in our house, and I couldn't be happier. I feel the most at peace when we're all home together---even when the peace is broken every 2.7 seconds with bickering or boxes of spilled cereal.

For the record? If a brand new box of Cinnamon Chex cereal is "accidentally" dumped onto your freshly-mopped kitchen linoleum, the cinnamon and sugar will ADHERE to it and the floor will be speckled and sticky (and smell like a churro factory) for pretty much ever.

and you'll want to move.

or at least go outside and drink your coffee all alone while practicing your  lamaze yoga breathing.

Napping garden gnomes make everyone happy



I have a recipe for vegetable broth that I want to share. It's free, it's easy, and it's healthy.

If vegetable broth isn't your thing, that's okay. You can make beef or chicken, instead!

PS: vegetable broth and vegetable stock are the same thing. There are no bones, so I'm sticking with the term broth.

The Ingredients.

makes about 4 quarts

thoroughly washed vegetable peels

thoroughly washed vegetable ends and parts

water

salt (I do not add salt now, but prefer to salt to taste when using in a recipe)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. This is a "free" recipe! When cooking, save your vegetable ends and peels. 

Many people have a large Tupperware container in their freezer that they use for just this purpose. In order for this to be safe, you'll need to wash your vegetables well and scrub off all of the dirt. I'd highly highly highly (three highlies!) recommend using certified organic produce when making broth/stock---or better yet, organic vegetables that you've grown in your own garden.

Some great veggie-broth-making candidates are: carrot peels, onion skin, celery ends, bell pepper stems, and garlic skins. Don't bother with potato skin, it's too starchy and has an overwhelming earthy (dirt) flavor.

Put the (washed) vegetable skins and pieces into your slow cooker and add a bunch of water. I don't measure, I just make sure the skins and pieces are submerged (you may need to poke them down a bit with a wooden spoon). Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours. Place a colander in a large stock pot, and carefully strain the vegetable pieces from your broth.

Cool completely and freeze in containers until you are ready to use in your favorite recipe.

The Verdict.

It's quite interesting how garlic and onion peels infuse the water with so much flavor. This is a very customizeable recipe---if you'd like a greens-packed broth, save the ends from spinach or chard---it's really up to you!  If you use even the tiniest amount of beet skin, you'll end up with pinkish red broth. Neat!

Turtle prefers it when I save vegetable skins/pieces for her

2008 Flashback:

March 24: Baked Ziti

March 25: Walnut and Sage Potatoes AuGratin

March 26: Split Pea Soup

March 27: Perfect Gluten Free Bread

March 28: Smoky Refried Bean Soup

March 29: Honey and Cinnamon Glazed Carrots

March 30: Ratatouille

March 31: Pot Roast with Red Wine and Cranberries

April 1: Easy Taco Night

April 2: Bread Pudding

April 3: Eggplant "Parmesan" with Feta

April 4: Roasted garlic

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Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup Slow Cooker Recipe

 

It's another cold, wet, and gray day---which means you should make soup.

In the crockpot.

I found this recipe over a year ago while link-following (that's a verb, right?) Shauna and Danny Ahern, authors of  Gluten Free Girl and The Chef (great cookbook, it should definitely be in your kitchen if it isn't already--not just for GF peeps) and GlutenFreeGirl.com made it for the Pork People (technical term), and I wanted to see if I could crockpotecize (that's definitely a verb) it.

and it worked! This recipe is on page 226 of the new More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow book (which should also most definitely be in your kitchen), but I never posted it online.

oops.

so here you go!

The Ingredients.

serves 8

7 cups chicken broth

7 ounces chorizo sausage, sliced (pork, beef, turkey, veggie; your choice)

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped (or a handful of baby carrots)

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 3/4 pounds (about 3 large) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

8 tablespoons sour cream (for serving)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth and add the sliced chorizo (no need to brown first, YAY!). Add the carrots, onion, sweet potatoes, and garlic Don't worry about chopping your vegetables in pretty shapes----it's all going to be blended together anyhow (after cooking).

Stir in the curry powder and chile flakes.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours (low is better, IMO). Before serving, use a hand-held stick blender to blend the soup completely (even the chorizo. I know, it sounds weird, but trust me). Ladle into bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream.

The Verdict.

I was fascinated by this ingredient list and am so glad that I gave it a try. It's velvety and smooth, with a great depth of flavor. The heat sneaks up but isn't overwhelming. You can omit the red pepper flakes if you're worried about the spice, and then add at the table to the grown-up servings. My girls thought it was a bit too firery, but liked scooping the sour cream off the top and dunked corn bread into the soup and ate it that way.

Adam is not a soup guy (he keeps reminding me of this, and I keep forgetting), but he practically licked his bowl clean. I've got more chorizo in the freezer earmarked just for this!

yet again, I'm behind with the 2008 flashbacks. I have no idea how I got through that year of cooking and posting daily---I'm having trouble posting weekly now!

March 10 Creamed Spinach (shhh. it's good for you!)

March 11 Dulce de Leche (you aren't supposed to make this. and that's all I should really say, probably)

March 12 Ginger Teriyaki Tofu (I'm the only one who ate this)

March 13 Blue Cheese and Steak Roll-Ups (fancy schmancy)

March 14 French Onion Soup (seriously good. even if you're not a "soup guy")

March 15 Creamy Avocado Chipotle Soup (sounds odd. kind of is.)

March 16 Roasted Cabbage and Potatoes (sometimes I don't know what to type in the parentheses)

March 17 Apricot Chicken (this is what I make when we have company with kids)

March 18 Hardboiled Eggs (you can hardboil eggs in the crockpot! but that doesn't mean you should.)

March 19 Leg of Lamb (the absolute best way to cook lamb---really. moist, delicious, perfect)

March 20 Sweet and Spicy Salmon (spring is a great time to cook fish in the crockpot)

March 21 Overnight Breakfast Potatoes with Sausage (cooking while you sleep is the ultimate in luxury. that, and maybe a butler?)

March 22 Traditional Beef Stew (there are as many variations of stew as there are missing Barbie shoes)

March 23 Taco Dip (I have a few different taco dip recipes. this is the first one)

Happy Slow Cooking! Have a great week!

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Pesto Minestrone Soup Slow Cooker Recipe

Although it was bizaredly warm and we spent the day outside walking around a community farm (baby pigs couldn't possibly be any cuter), we're still smack dab in the middle of soup season.

Soup rocks.

This is a hearty (non-boring) minestrone with a funky and surprising twist: pesto. It's delicious, filling, low fat, and can be completely vegetarian/vegan if you opt for vegetable broth. 

The Ingredients.

serves 6

1 large onion, diced

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup sliced celery

1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 pound (any variety) potatoes, cut in 1-inch chunks (no need to peel)

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 (15-ounce) cans beans (undrained; your choice, I used black and kidney)

1 (11-ounce) container prepared pesto (or a cup or so homemade)

4 cups chicken broth (can use vegetable)

1 cup frozen peas (to add later)

1 handful baby spinach (to add later)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the veggies into the bottom of your slow cooker and add the entire can of tomatoes and both cans of beans. Pour in the pesto and broth. No additional seasoning is needed. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the vegetables have fully cooked and softened and flavors have melded completely. stir well, and add frozen peas and a handful of spinach. Cook on high for another 10-15 min or until the peas are fully hot and the spinach has wilted.

The Verdict.

I love how the pesto flavors this soup so fully---I didn't want to sprinkle on a bunch of cheese the way I sometimes do when eating soup. I first had pesto minestrone soup at an Italian restaurant on vacation--it was a starter, and I liked it better than the meal and knew I needed to make it at home.

I prefer to use spinach rather than kale in my minestrone (Adam hates kale. I can't persuade him otherwise, and have decided it's not something to fuss about) but if you'd like to use kale  (it's traditional), the directions are exactly the same.

here's a bunch more soup!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 I have completed the very first webTV interview with Kim Demmon, of Today's Creative Blog. It took a while to figure out the software, but Kim was SO wonderfully patient, and hopefully things will continue to get easier and easier.

 Thank you for your suggestions for interviewees---I've got them all written down and plan on making my way down the list.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you so much for your wonderful comments and emails about my Good Morning America appearance. I had the best time ever, and am so happy that it went smoothly on all accounts and that I'm home again with the kids.

and the laundry.

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Crab and Corn Soup CrockPot Recipe

 

Amie promises me that it's cooling off even in Arizona, and it's officially Soup Season.

I'm so glad.

The Ingredients.

serves 6

1 quart chicken broth (4 cups!)

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup finely chopped onion, or 1 tablespoon dried minced onion flakes

1 (32-ounce) package of frozen corn

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (6-ounce) can lump crabmeat, drained and picked through (don't use Krab. it's not gluten free, and it's weird)

1 cup half and half or heavy cream (to add later)

1 avocado, sliced (to add later)

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Pour the broth into your crockpot, and add butter and onion. Stir in frozen corn, garlic, butter, cayenne, and the crabmeat (make sure you pick through canned crab---shells often occur!) Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, high for 4 hours, or until the onion is cooked through and translucent. If you'd like a thicker broth, pulse a few times with an immersible blender, or scoop out a cup or so and blend in a traditional stand blender, then stir it back in (carefully!).

Add half and half or cream. Stir well, and ladle into bowls or bread bowls, and garnish with avocado slices.

The Verdict.

I had a soup just like this on the boardwalk in Monterey, CA, and this really brought me back to that occasion. It's rich and hearty without being too heavy, and the crab flavor is subtle and beautiful. I LOVE the velvety feel the half and half provides---I'm sure you could get away with using a lower fat variety of milk, but it just won't be the same.

seafood schtoup schtuff:

lobster bisque  (this was the Christmas Day recipe in 2008!)

cioppino

fish chowder

barbecued shrimp (not soup. just amazingly good)

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