Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Slow Cooker Soups

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

Almost any kind of soup can be made in a slow cooker. Whether you prefer simpler soups like vegetable beef or lentil soup, or if your favorites include fancier soups like vichyssoise or pot-au-feu, your slow cooker will come in handy. You can even create delicate soups such as trout chowder or crab soup in a slow cooker while you attend to other tasks. If you like ethnic soups like Indian Dal or Italian Wedding soup, they also turn out perfectly in a slow cooker.

It does not matter what your favorite is, you can make it in your slow cooker. Use leftovers or fresh ingredients. If you have a little ham, add it to some navy beans for a delicious bean soup. Likewise, you could add split yellow or green peas and make a wonderful pea soup.

You can even make a clam chowder or cheddar cheese soup. That is the best thing about soup in the slow cooker... you can make all of your favorites. Dumplings, noodles, and all the other ingredients that you crave in the winter can all be done in the slow cooker.

New Soups

You can also find many recipes for soups that will be new to you. It is always fun trying something new! Why not try a new slow cooker soup? How about a cheesy meatball soup? Ever heard of taco soup? What about garden cabbage soup or deviled chicken soup? There are so many you can try that may become new favorites.

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 and dumplings, beef noodle and potato soup are great, too. For something a little different, mix up the ingredients a bit. Try adding bacon or ham to your potato soup, or put brown rice in your beef soup. Adding a new twist can be a lot of 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. - 29857

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