The Great American Slow Cooker Book (17 page)

Read The Great American Slow Cooker Book Online

Authors: Bruce Weinstein

BOOK: The Great American Slow Cooker Book

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Serve It Up!
A poached egg would be wonderful in each bowl, the soup ladled on top. If you’re going to eat the whole batch, you can poach the eggs right in the cooker. Break as many as you need into individual custard cups and slip them into the soup, tilting the cup’s lip into the soup so the egg just slips into the liquid. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 15 minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks are soft. Gather the eggs one at a time with a large spoon, transfer them to individual serving bowls, and ladle the soup on top.

porky navy bean soup

EFFORT:
A LOT
•
PREP TIME:
12 HOURS 40 MINUTES (INCLUDES SOAKING THE BEANS)
•
COOK TIME:
10 HOURS 25 MINUTES
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
4 HOURS THROUGH STEP 3
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8

2- TO 3½-QUART

⅔ cup (about 5 ounces) dried navy beans

4 cups (1 quart) water

½ pound russet or other baking potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes

⅓ cup chopped yellow onion

⅓ cup chopped celery

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 small smoked ham hock

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp salt (optional)

4- TO 5½-QUART

1⅓ cups (about 11 ounces) dried navy beans

7 cups (1 quart plus 3 cups) water

¾ pound russet or other baking potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes

⅔ cup chopped yellow onion

⅔ cup chopped celery

½ tsp ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

1 medium smoked ham hock

⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

1½ tblsp fresh lemon juice

½ tsp salt (optional)

6- TO 8-QUART

2 cups (about 1 pound) dried navy beans

10 cups (2½ cups) water

1¼ pounds russet or other baking potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes

1 cup (1 medium) chopped yellow onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 tsp ground black pepper

3 bay leaves

2 small smoked ham hock

½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 tblsp fresh lemon juice

¾ tsp salt (optional)

1
Dump the beans in a large bowl and fill it about two-thirds full with cool tap water. Set aside to soak for 12 hours or up to 16 hours.

2
Drain the beans in a colander set in the sink, then pour them into the slow cooker. Stir in the water, potatoes, onion, celery, pepper, bay leaves, and ham hock.

3
Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or until the beans are tender.

4
Take the hock out of the cooker; keep the cooker covered and on low. Cool the hock for 10 minutes, then remove the meat from the bones and shred it. Stir this meat back into the slow cooker along with the parsley, lemon juice, and salt (if using).

5
Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes to heat through.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
There’s really no need for extra salt in this substantial soup; the hock will supply so much to the broth. That said, if you like saltier fare, add the optional amount.

•
Because this soup cooks for so long and because the beans are so rich, there’s also no need for broth here. water will do the trick.

bean, beef, and carrot soup

EFFORT:
A LOT
•
PREP TIME:
12 HOURS 35 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
10 HOURS 15 MINUTES
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
4 HOURS THROUGH STEP 4
•
SERVES:
2 TO 6

2- TO 3½-QUART

⅔ cup dried pinto beans

½ pound meaty beef ribs

3 cups low-sodium beef broth

5 ounces carrots, thinly sliced

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 tsp chopped fresh sage leaves

1 tsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves

⅛ tsp celery seeds

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp salt

⅛ tsp ground black pepper

4- TO 5½-QUART

1⅓ cups dried pinto beans

1 pound meaty beef ribs

6 cups (1½ quarts) low-sodium beef broth

10 ounces carrots, thinly sliced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1½ tblsp chopped fresh sage leaves

2 tsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves

¼ tsp celery seeds

1 bay leaf

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

6- TO 8-QUART

2 cups dried pinto beans

1½ pounds meaty beef ribs

9 cups (2 quarts plus 1 cup) low-sodium beef broth

1 pound carrots, thinly sliced

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 tblsp chopped fresh sage leaves

1 tblsp stemmed fresh thyme leaves

½ tsp celery seeds

2 bay leaves

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

1
Pour the beans into a large bowl and souse them by filling the bowl at least two-thirds full of cool tap water. Set aside to soak overnight—that is, 12 hours, or up to 16 hours.

2
Position the rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Lay the beef ribs on a large baking sheet and brown them, turning occasionally with tongs, about 20 minutes. Lay them in the slow cooker.

3
Drain the beans in a colander set in the sink; pour them into the slow cooker. Stir in the broth, carrots, onion, sage, thyme, celery seeds, and bay leaf.

4
Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or until the beans are tender and any meat is falling off the rib bones.

5
Transfer the bones to a large cutting board, cool a few minutes, then shred the meat from those bones. Discard the bay leaf, then stir this meat back into the soup along with the salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes to heat through.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
Browning the ribs on a large baking sheet under the broiler will give them extra flavor in the soup.

•
Make sure the beef ribs are cut into individual bones or ask the butcher to do so for you.

wheatberry and root vegetable soup

EFFORT:
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
25 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
8 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS THROUGH STEP 2
•
SERVES:
3 TO 10

2- TO 3½-QUART

4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium vegetable broth

⅔ cup peeled and thinly sliced parsnips

⅔ cup thinly sliced carrots

⅔ cup peeled and diced celery root

⅓ cup thinly sliced leek (white and pale green part only), washed for internal grit

⅓ cup
wheatberries

⅓ cup peeled and shredded sweet potato

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

⅛ tsp ground allspice

⅛ tsp grated nutmeg

½ 4-inch cinnamon stick;

2 tblsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

4- TO 5½-QUART

8 cups (2 quarts) low-sodium vegetable broth

1⅓ cups peeled and thinly sliced parsnips

1⅓ cups thinly sliced carrots

1⅓ cups (about ½ pound) peeled and diced celery root

⅔ cup thinly sliced leek (white and pale green part only), washed for internal grit

⅔ cup
wheatberries

⅔ cup peeled and shredded sweet potato

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp ground allspice

¼ tsp grated nutmeg

1 4-inch cinnamon stick

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

6- TO 8-QUART

12 cups (3 quarts) low-sodium vegetable broth

2 cups peeled and thinly sliced parsnips

2 cups thinly sliced carrots

2 cups peeled and diced celery root

1 cup thinly sliced leek (white and pale green part only), washed for internal grit

1 cup
wheatberries

1 cup peeled and shredded sweet potato

1 tsp salt

¾ tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp ground allspice

½ tsp grated nutmeg

1½ 4-inch cinnamon stick

½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 tblsp fresh lemon juice

1
Stir the broth, parsnips, carrots, celery root, leek, wheatberries, sweet potato, salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon stick in the slow cooker.

2
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the wheatberries are tender.

3
Find and discard the cinnamon stick. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice just before serving.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
Although there’s not much to making this soup, we did list its effort level at “a little” because of all that chopping and slicing of the root vegetables, many of which you cannot find already prepped in the supermarket’s produce section.

•
Rather than stirring red pepper flakes into the soup, dot bowlfuls with bottled hot pepper sauce or even
sambal oelek
, if you want more heat.

ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
To peel a hairy, gnarly celery root (or celeriac, a plant that’s a kissing cousin to celery), skip the vegetable peeler and work with a sharp paring knife, shearing off small bits of the tough peel as you work your way around the root. Carve down into the cracks to get out those spindly hairs. Cut out more troublesome spots completely. Once you’ve got that done, slice the root into 1-inch circles, then cut these into chunks.

quinoa and squash soup

EFFORT:
A LITTLE
•
PREP TIME:
25 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
6 HOURS 15 MINUTES
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS THROUGH STEP 1
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8

2- TO 3½-QUART

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2½ cups (12 ounces) peeled, seeded, and chopped butternut squash

1 cup coconut milk (regular or light)

1 small yellow onion, chopped

½ cup
white quinoa
, rinsed

½ tblsp
curry powder

½ tsp salt

Up to ¼ tsp cayenne

4- TO 5½-QUART

5 cups (1 quart plus 1 cup) low-sodium chicken broth

4 cups (1¼ pounds) peeled, seeded, and chopped butternut squash

1⅔ cups coconut milk (regular or light)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

¾ cup
white quinoa
, rinsed

2½ tsp
curry powder

¾ tsp salt

Up to ½ tsp cayenne

6- TO 8-QUART

8 cups (2 quarts) low-sodium chicken broth

6½ cups (2 pounds) peeled, seeded, and chopped butternut squash

2⅔ cups coconut milk (regular or light)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1⅓ cups
white quinoa
, rinsed

4 tsp
curry powder

1 tsp salt

Up to ¾ tsp cayenne

1
Mix the broth, squash, coconut milk, onion, quinoa, curry powder, salt, and cayenne in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the squash and quinoa are very tender.

2
Puree the soup: use an immersion blender in the slow cooker, or ladle the soup in batches into a large blender, cover, and blend until smooth before pouring it back into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes to heat through.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
By pureeing the quinoa, you end up with a mellow, sophisticated flavor to pair with the creamy, sweet butternut squash.

•
Of course, you needn’t just use yellow curry powder. Search out interesting blends, particularly those with plenty of warm spices like cinnamon and cardamom.

Serve It Up!
Garnish the bowls with dollops of plain yogurt and minced chives.

beefy quinoa soup

EFFORT:
NOT MUCH
•
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
•
COOK TIME:
8 HOURS
•
KEEPS ON WARM:
2 HOURS THROUGH STEP 2
•
SERVES:
3 TO 8

2- TO 3½-QUART

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

8 ounces (about 1½ cups) yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), peeled and diced

6 ounces beef chuck, finely chopped into ½-inch pieces

⅓ cup
white or red quinoa

¼ cup frozen fava beans, thawed

¼ cup thinly sliced leek (white and pale green part only), washed for internal grit

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper