Making Soups in Slow Cookers

Despite the fact that nearly all slow cooker recipes require long cooking times, allowing for all day or overnight cooking at a low setting, preparation time is normally very short. The base of any good homemade soup is the stock. Therefore, making stock in large batches and freezing small portions is well worth the investment of your time.

The easiest way to prepare soup in a slow cooker is to place all of the raw ingredients into the pot with stock and simmer. This method is particularly good for vegetable soup, yielding a result that is low in fat and high in flavour. An alternative is to first sauté or fry onions, vegetables and meat in advance. In addition to giving the ingredients more vibrant colours, some schools of thought claim that this process seals in individual flavours before allowing them to blend together during the slow cooking process.

Adapting Soup Recipes

This simple mixed vegetable soup recipe is merely a guide. Use your imagination to add whatever ingredients you want to make it your personal concoction. Poultry or meat can be added at the very beginning of the process. If you prefer using fresh herbs, double the amount. You can even add wine or cider for an extra flavour boost.

Pureeing Soups

An individual serving of soup can be transformed into a smooth consume’ by using a hand held blender. A food processor or free standing blender can be used for larger portions; however, be careful not to overfill the unit. It is possible to puree’ soft vegetable soups by hand using a large spoon to and pressing it through a sieve. Regardless of the method used to puree your soup, it will have to be reheated if you plan to serve it hot.

Thickening Soups

The simplest way to thicken soup is by making a small paste with cornstarch or arrowroot mixed with a small portion of cold water and whisking it into the hot soup. Corn starch thickens boiling liquid instantly; but it takes about ten minutes for the flavour to balance out. If you choose arrowroot, add it at the very end because it thickens immediately upon reaching the boiling point, but thins out during the cooking process.

Other thickening options for soup include: regular all purpose flour, sprinkled over fried or blended with softened butter or cream; bread crumbs for chilled soups only; a mixture of eggs and cream, egg yolks or beaten eggs for smooth soups after they have been allowed to cool a bit.

Garnishing Soups

An eye-appealing garnish adds a very special touch to any soup. A swirl of cream or yogurt, a dash of paprika, a sprig of thyme or rosemary all turn a simple cup or bowl of soup into a special presentation. Grated or crumbled cheese atop a cup or bowl of vegetable or onion soup not only adds colour, it also enhances the flavour and consistency. Croutons and bread crumbs are also excellent garnishes that go well with nearly any kind of soup, and they are easy to make right in your own kitchen. Making croutons is as simple as cutting slices of day old bread into cubes and toasting them in the oven.

For added flavour, you can add butter, garlic, cheese or other herbs and seasonings. For best results, toss them in a little oil and bake at 200C (400F) for 12 to 15 minutes. If you’d rather prepare your croutons on the stove top, you can do so by tossing them in hot olive oil, turning them constantly, to assure that they brown evenly. Be sure to drain them on a paper towel before adding them to your soup. Croutons are easily converted into bread crumbs simply by crushing them with a rolling pin inside a plastic bag or between two sheets of waxed paper or paper towels.