Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever (5 page)

Butternut squash, that rather shapely but not-too-attractive squash, becomes the star of the slow cooker in this delicious soup. The slow cooker takes the rock- hard squash and cooks it to almost a purée. If you would like a smoother soup, a run around the cooker with your immersion blender is all that it takes. Try garnishing this soup with one of your favorites: lump crabmeat, crumbled goat cheese, or croutons. It can be served immediately, or cooled and refrigerated for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 6 weeks.

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped sweet onion

½ cup finely chopped carrot

½ cup finely chopped celery

2 teaspoons dried thyme

8 cups 1-inch pieces peeled and seeded butternut squash

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and thyme and sauté until the vegetables are softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the squash and broth, and season with salt and pepper.

cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours. At the end of the cooking time, stir the soup and season with salt and pepper. If you would like to purée the soup, use an immersion blender, or cool the soup and purée it in a blender.

serve warm from the cooker.

serves 8

Pumpkin isn’t just for Halloween and shouldn’t be reserved for pies. This delicious soup spiked with ground ginger will be a welcome warm-up on a cool evening when served with some crusty bread. The soup can be frozen for up to two months.

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

½ cup finely chopped sweet onion

½ cup finely chopped celery

½ cup finely chopped carrot

2 medium red pears, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

½ teaspoon ground ginger

Two 15-ounce cans pumpkin purée (see savvy)

3 cups chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup heavy cream

melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, pears, and ginger and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.

stir in the pumpkin and broth. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours.

season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream, cover, and leave on warm for 30 minutes before serving.

serves 8

pumpkin savvy

Pumpkin purée sold in cans is terrific for any preparation that calls for pumpkin. Cooking your own pumpkin can be a messy and frustrating process that sometimes ends with a watery mess. Make sure to buy pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling.

Roasting tomatoes in the slow cooker intensifies their flavor and gives them a whole new personality. Flavored with aromatic herbs and garlic and simmered with chicken broth, ricotta, and Parmigiano cheese, this soup is sure to please even the fussiest eaters. If that isn’t enough, a dollop of garlicky spinach pesto tops it all off! This soup is another candidate for that grown-up grilled cheese sandwich, the panini, or accompanied with bruschetta.

Two 28-ounce cans peeled whole tomatoes, drained

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

½ cup chopped red onion

6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1½ teaspoons salt

Pinch red pepper flakes

½ cup vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

1½ cups heavy cream

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Spinach Pesto (recipe follows)

Two 10-ounce packages baby spinach

½ cup pine nuts

2 cloves garlic, peeled

Grated zest of 1 lemon

½ cup packed fresh basil leaves

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

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/
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cup olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

combine the tomatoes, olive oil, basil, marjoram, onion, garlic, salt, pepper flakes, and broth in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.

cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours, until the tomatoes and onion are softened. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup, or cool the soup and purée it in a blender or food processor. Whisk in the ricotta, cream, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

cover the cooker and turn it to warm. Allow the soup to come to serving temperature (the retained heat in the cooker will heat the cheese and cream, without it separating).

serve the soup garnished with the spinach pesto.

serves 8

Spinach pesto retains its bright green color and adds zip and color to roasted tomato soup, but it can also be tossed with pasta or as a sauce for pasta or potato salad.

put the spinach, pine nuts, garlic, lemon zest, basil, and Parmesan cheese in the work bowl of a food processor or a blender. Pulse the food processor on and off until the leaves are chopped and the mixture is chunky. With the machine running, slowly pour in the oil and process until the mixture comes together.

season with salt and pepper. Store the pesto, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.

makes about 3 cups

This beautifully colored soup is open to a lot of variations, and the secret to keeping the broccoli bright green is the addition of baking soda to the pot. Try all the variations; they are a great way to serve your family vegetables.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 medium carrots, cut into ½-inch dice

2 bunches broccoli (about 1½ pounds), stems trimmed, cut into florets

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup heavy cream (to lower the fat, use whole milk, or add more broth)

turn a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker on high, add the butter to the insert, and cover until the butter is melted. Add the onion, carrots, and broccoli and toss the vegetables in the butter. Dissolve the baking soda in the broth and add to the vegetables.

cook on high for 2½ to 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours.

Season with salt and pepper and stir in the cream. Turn off the slow cooker and let the soup rest for 15 minutes to come to serving temperature.

serves 6–8

Whenever I order baked-potato soup in a restaurant, I am invariably disappointed. Usually it tastes of flour and has no real flavor—just a bland soup base mixed with some sorry potatoes. This smooth soup is made flavorful by cooking the potatoes in chicken broth, then embellishing it with green onions, bacon, and sharp Cheddar. This soup is a whole meal and can be the centerpiece for a casual weekend dinner with friends. Make sure to serve extra cheese, bacon, onions, and sour cream on the side.

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

2 medium leeks, finely chopped, using the white and some of the tender green parts

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (see savvy)

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup whole milk

2 cups finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

6 green onions, finely chopped, using the white and some of the tender green parts

8 strips bacon, cooked crisp, drained, and crumbled

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup sour cream for garnishing

heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the leeks to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and add the potatoes and broth. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours, until the potatoes are tender. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup, or cool the soup and purée it in a blender.

reduce the heat to low and add the milk, cheese, green onions, and bacon. Cover the slow cooker and cook for an additional 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper.

serve the soup garnished with a dollop of sour cream.

serves 8–10

potato savvy

I use russet (baking) potatoes because they will be puréed at the end of the cooking time, giving a rich creamy texture to the soup. If you prefer a chunky soup, use 6 medium red or Yukon gold potatoes.

cooking savvy

Always cool mixtures before puréeing in a food processor or blender, so that if they erupt all over you, you won’t get burned.

serving savvy

Serving soup in hollowed-out bread bowls is a nice way to serve a crowd. Cut the top off a bread round and hollow out the inside, using a serrated knife, leaving about ¾-inch all the way around the inside. I usually brush the inside with butter or olive oil and bake the bread at 350°F for about 10 minutes. This helps to crisp up the bread.

This riff on Julia Child’s traditional vichyssoise, a cold potato and leek soup, is so simple to make in the slow cooker, and the best news is, it can be made and then chilled, kept waiting for your next soirée. If you prefer to serve the soup warm, it’s terrific topped with crème fraîche and lump crabmeat.

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

4 leeks, finely chopped, using the white and a bit of the tender green parts

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

3 cups chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup snipped fresh chives for garnishing

turn a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker on high, add the butter to the insert, and cover until the butter is melted. Add the leeks and toss with the butter. Add the potatoes and broth. Cover the slow cooker and cook the soup on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours, until the potatoes are tender.

puree the soup with an immersion blender, or mash with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream and turn off the slow cooker. Cool the soup, then refrigerate until chilled.

serve the soup in chilled bowls and garnish with the chives.

serves 8–10

instead of chives, finely chopped smoked salmon makes a lovely garnish, as does lump crabmeat or finely chopped cooked shrimp or lobster.

Creamy, tender white beans, chunks of spicy Capicola or other ham, and rosemary combine for a hearty soup that is terrific to serve for lunch or as part of a soup-andsandwich supper. Try serving this soup with grown-up grilled cheese—panini made with fontina, provolone, and fresh mozzarella topped with pesto. Now that’s a great meal!

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces of spicy Italian ham or Capicola, cut into ½-inch dice

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 stalks celery with leaves, finely chopped

3 medium carrots, finely chopped

2 teaspoons finely minced fresh rosemary

One 14- to 15-ounce can plum tomatoes, crushed and drained

2 cups dried beans, picked over for stones, soaked, or two 14- to 15-ounce cans small white beans, drained and rinsed

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

add the ham and sauté until it begins to get crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and rosemary and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Stir in the beans and the broth.

cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, until the beans are tender. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

serves 8