Winter is just around the corner, so it’s time to start thinking about some dense and delicious meals for those cold days. Of course, the slow cooker is the first thing that pops up in my mind when I think about winter recipes. I confess, I love my slow cooker because it allows me to mind my own businesses around the house, while the meals are cooking themselves. Stews and casseroles are notorious slow cooker meals, but I recently found out I can also make soups in my cooker!
However, these machines are pretty controversial, because many people argue the long cooking time destroys all the nutrients in the food. In fact, the low cooking temperature allows the food to preserve all its goodness from a nutritional point of view. However, you need to make sure you’ve picked the right slow cooker for your needs, as they come with plenty of features. The shape, the heating method and the lid material all count, so you need to be careful when picking the machine.
But once you’ve found the one, you can start slow cooking!
Now let’s check these 8 mouthwatering soup recipes you can make in your slow cooker!
1. Beef and Barley Soup
The beef and barley soup has to be the ultimate comfort food, given the heavenly smell it releases during cooking. This is the perfect soup for a cold day, when all you want is to have is something rich and nutritious on the stove or in the crock pot.
2. A Famous Italian Sausage Soup
This soup is going to conquer your soul forever, as it’s rich texture and mouthwatering taste are unique. It’s creamy and healthy, as it’s made with delicious Italian sausages, potatoes and kale. You can also add some grilled cheese croutons to it, to make it even more delicious.
3. Chicken, Rice and Broccoli Soup
Have you ever thought of your favorite mix of chicken, broccoli and rice as a soup? Well, here it is: the creamy soup made from these simple ingredients is perfect for a relaxing dinner. Just toss all the ingredients in the slow cooker and forget about them for some time.
4. Black Bean and Avocado Soup
I have to agree this is probably the most unexpected soup recipe in this list. Avocado in a winter soup? Well, why not! This recipe is a rainbow of colors and ingredients, topped with red peppers and some chili for a spicy kick. Which blends really well with the creamy, sweet taste of the avocado.
5. Chicken, Vegetables and Quinoa Soup
When you are not sure what to cook, you can just go to the fridge, pick some simple, nutritional ingredients and toss them in the slow cooker. This is exactly how this recipe is done, which makes it very versatile. Pick the vegetables you have, some chicken (or another type of meat) and quinoa and forget about them in the slow cooker.
6. Beef and Kimchi Soup
This is usually called a stew, but you can always turn it into a soup. What is really nice about this recipe is the kimchi is not as sour as in Korean dishes, which makes the soup a crowd pleaser.
7. Caramelized Pork Soup
The best cure for cold, freezing rain days is noodle soup, but why not take it to another level? Take the noodles and add caramelized pork, some curry roasted squash and eggs and you will have an amazing recipe.
8. Cheesy Broccoli Soup
After a hard day at work or downtown, shopping for Christmas, the best thing you can do is drink a warm soup. This broccoli and cheese recipe made in the slow cooker is both warming and delicious, so you can embrace it right away as your new favorite soup.
Featured photo credit: Serious Eats via seriouseats.com
