The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook (6 page)

Nonna’s Soup for the Soul

This is comfort food for me. Whenever I didn’t feel well as a child, my
nonna
would make me this soup. For many years, I just called it Nonna’s soup. It’s basically chicken soup with escarole, kale, or chard, a few more veggies, and—the best part—eggs and nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano beaten together and added at the end.
Stracciatella,
the Italian name for the soup, means “torn apart,” which is what the eggs and cheese look like when they hit the hot liquid in the cooker.

SERVES 8

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 medium carrots, finely chopped

1 head escarole, kale, savoy cabbage, or Swiss chard, cored and cut into ½-in/12-mm pieces

8 cups/2 L chicken broth

4 large eggs

½ to ⅔ cup/60 to 75 g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and sauté the onion, carrots, and escarole, turning in the oil to coat, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer the contents of the pan to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/ 4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Add the broth. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 5 to 6 hours. The escarole will be tender.

Remove the top from the slow cooker. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and ½ cup/60g of the cheese. Drizzle the egg mixture into the simmering soup, stirring as you are pouring it in. Season with salt and pepper if necessary, and serve the soup immediately, garnished with additional Parmigiano, if desired.

SLOW COOKER SAVVY

Feel free to add cut-up chicken or leftover cooked pasta to the soup, if desired.

Vegetable Soup Provençal

This colorful soup has the aroma of an herb garden when you lift the lid on the slow cooker. Filled with vegetables, it’s the perfect soup to serve for lunch with a wedge of quiche or a
salade niçoise.
Natives of Provence add a pestolike garnish, which they call
pistou.
Fragrant with the scent of basil, it gives the soup a delicious flavor.

SERVES 8

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus ½ cup/120 ml

3 leeks (white and tender green parts), halved lengthwise, cleaned, and cut cross-wise into ½-in/12-mm half-moons

3 ribs celery, coarsely chopped

3 medium carrots, coarsely chopped

2 tsp herbes de Provence
Slow Cooker Savvy

½ cup/120 ml dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, or Sauvignon Blanc, or dry vermouth

One 14½- to 15-oz/415- to 430-g can chopped tomatoes, with their juice

8 cups/2 L chicken or vegetable broth

2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, and cut into ½-in/12-mm chunks

2 cups/340 g fresh shelled peas or frozen peas, defrosted

1 head escarole, cut into 1-in/2.5-cm pieces

Two 14½- to 15-oz/415- to 430-g cans small white beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups/90 g firmly packed fresh basil leaves

6 garlic cloves, peeled

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a large skillet, heat the 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the leeks, celery, carrots, and herbes de Provence for 3 minutes, or until the carrots begin to soften. Add the wine, and cook to allow the wine to evaporate a bit. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, broth, zucchini, peas, escarole, and beans and stir to blend. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4 hours.

In a blender or food processor, combine the basil and garlic and pulse on and off to break them up. With the machine running, add ¼ cup/60 ml of the olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the blender and taste. Add salt and pepper if necessary. If the pistou is very thick, add more olive oil, 1 to 2 tsp at a time. The pistou should hold together, and not be runny. Transfer the pistou to an airtight container, and float the remaining oil on the top to prevent the basil from discoloring.

When ready to serve, taste the soup for seasoning and correct by adding salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, and dollop 1 to 2 tbsp of pistou in the center of each serving.

Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Prosciutto

In Italian this soup is called
la zuppa di zucca con prosciutto.
Loosely translated,
zucca
means “pumpkin,” but Italian pumpkins are more like a butternut squash. Fortunately, butternut squash is readily auailable at your local market year-round. This smooth, creamy soup is scented with sage, flavored with apple, and topped with a crispy garnish of salty prosciutto, thus delivering creamy, crispy, sweet, and salty in one delicious seruing!

SERVES 6 TO 8

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup/80 g finely chopped onion

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

1 tsp dried sage (not rubbed)

One 3-lb/1.4-kg butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-in/2.5-cm pieces (about 4 cups/910 g)

5 cups/1.2 L chicken or vegetable broth

2 tbsp unsalted butter

6 thin slices prosciutto, finely chopped

1 cup/240 ml heavy cream

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté the onion, apple, and sage for 3 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker and stir in the squash and broth. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 6 hours.

When the soup is almost done, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto and cook until crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Purée the soup right in the insert with an immersion blender, or cool the soup and purée in a blender or food processor. Add the cream, taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve the soup garnished with the crispy prosciutto.

Creamy French Onion Soup

A delicious combination of caramelized onions and beef broth, topped with a molten crown of melting cheese, French onion soup is my idea of the perfect weeknight dinner. If you like, serve it with a salad, quiche, or a sandwich. The soup is simple to put together; the long, slow simmer in the slow cooker gives a creamy texture to the onions, which practically melt into the broth. I recommend the addition of a beef soup base or demi-glace to the beef broth for an extra boost of beefy flavor. Your family will feel like they are dining in a lovely French bistro.

SERVES 6 TO 8

4 tbsp/55 g unsalted butter

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

8 large sweet yellow onions, such as Vidalia, coarsely chopped

2 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp sugar

1 cup/240 ml dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, or dry vermouth

6 cups/1.4 L beef broth

2 tbsp beef soup base or demi-glace

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups/230 g shredded Gruyere cheese

1 cup/115 g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

8 slices French bread, toasted

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the olive oil and add the onions, thyme, and sugar, turning to coat the onions. Cook the onions until they begin to turn golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Add the broth and soup base. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 7 hours. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the broiler for 10 minutes. Saturate a dish towel with water and lay it on a baking sheet; the towel will help keep the soup bowls from sliding around. Combine the cheeses in a mixing bowl. Ladle the soup into ovenproof soup bowls or crocks. Float the toast on top of the soup, and sprinkle liberally with the cheese mixture. Arrange the bowls on the dish towel, and broil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.

Remove the bowls from the baking sheet and serve.

Slow Cooker Gazpacho

Gazpacho is typically served in Andalusia as a cold refresher, a sort of liquid salad, during the hot summer months. I turned the recipe on its head and created a hot soup with the same ingredients, topping it with a cold garnish. The garnish includes toasted bread crumbs, which give the soup a little added crunch and flavor.

SERVES 8

FOR THE SOUP

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large red onion, finely chopped

1 large yellow bell pepper, cored and finely chopped

1 large red bell pepper, cored and finely chopped

1 large green bell pepper, cored and finely chopped

4 cups/960 ml chicken or vegetable broth

One 28- to 32-oz/800- to 910-g can tomato purée

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

FOR THE GARNISH

2 Hass avocados, peeled, pitted, and finely diced

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1 English cucumber, finely diced

1 cup/230 g cherry tomatoes, quartered (see Slow Cooker Savvy)

2 green onions (white and green parts), finely chopped

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups/230 g toasted bread crumbs (see Slow Cooker Savvy)

½ cup/30 g finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

TO MAKE THE SOUP / In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the garlic, onion, and bell peppers for 3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-qt/4.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker. Stir in the broth, tomato purée, and vinegar. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 5 to 6 hours.

WHILE THE SOUP IS SIMMERING, MAKE THE GARNISH / In a mixing bowl, toss together the avocado, lemon juice and zest, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and green onions.

Season the soup with salt and pepper, ladle into bowls, and dollop with the garnish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and parsley before serving.

SLOW COOKER SAVVY

Cherry tomatoes are generally ripe no matter what time of year you buy them, unlike the lackluster winter plum tomatoes you will find in the supermarket, so they are my first choice for this garnish.

Slice French or Italian bread into ½-in/12-mm slices. Toast the bread in the oven or a toaster oven, until it is golden brown. Cool the bread, and crumble in a food processor, or place in a zipper-top plastic bag and crush with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin, until the bread has been reduced to crumbs.