Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Making Soup in the Slow Cooker

By Ken Kudra

There is something so comforting about a nice hot bowl of soup. The soup warms you, making you feel cozy. Many people are intimidated at making homemade soup, but it actually is pretty easy once you have tried it a time or two. It is even easier when you use your slow cooker.

Soups for the Slow Cooker

Just about any kind of soup can be made successfully in a slow cooker. If you like simple soups like chicken noodle beef barley, the slow cooker can do it for you. If you like fancier soups like vichyssoise or French onion soup, your slow cooker can handle that too. Delicate soups like seafood chowder can also be made quickly in your slow cooker. If you prefer ethnic soups like Indian Dal or Mexican tortilla soup, you are good to go.

It does not matter what your favorite soup is... you can probably make it in your slow cooker. Leftovers work, too. If you have a ham bone left, toss it in with some split peas for yummy pea soup, or add some navy beans to make a hearty bean soup.

Even soups that seem more complicated, like cheddar cheese or clam chowder, can easily be made in your slow cooker. Whether it is something simple like chicken soup or more complicated, you can make all your favorite soups. Use your favorite ingredients like noodles, dumplings or rice... whichever you prefer.

New Soups

Maybe you will want to try a soup you have never tasted before. Trying new dishes is fun! Take a chance and try a new slow cooker soup. Have you ever tried a taco soup? What about cheesy meatball soup or deviled chicken soup? Ever tried a garden cabbage soup? There are many different soups out there just waiting to become your new favorite!

With a bit of inspiration, you can create your own new soup recipes. It can be fun to be creative in the kitchen. The slow cooker lets you make mistakes and your soup will still taste great. You can use tough cuts of meat because the long cooking time will tenderize them. Add some herbs and vegetables to add more depth to your soup. If you like creamy soups, add a little milk or cream at the end of cooking. Your imagination can run free!

Traditional soups like chicken noodle, vegetable beef and chicken and dumplings always taste good, too. If you want to try something slightly different, tweak the ingredients. Maybe you would like to try a nice pork stew or turkey and dumplings. Tweaking your favorites can be fun.

You can even press your slow cooker into service after the holidays to make your day after easier. Add leftover turkey from Thanksgiving to the slow cooker to make a delicious turkey soup. Add rice, potatoes, or noodles, whichever you like best. Add in leftover vegetables like peas, squash, carrots, or leftover gravy. You will end up with a new way to enjoy the fruits of your labors from before the big day. Slow cookers are a great way to use up these leftover goodies.

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