50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker

by Lynn Alley

Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9781449407933
ISBN-10: 1449407935
Format: Hardcover
Size: 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 in.
Page Count: 104 pages

“Cooking instructor Lynn Alley, who already has The Gourmet Slow Cooker and The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker to her credit, has just released a third book, 50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker. Alley’s latest volume includes meatless recipes for classics, such as French onion soup, plus other full-flavored potages such as Garnet Yam soup with Coconut Cream and Spiced Apple Pie Soup. She likes the slow-cooker method for its ease, convenience and efficiency.” ––Lake County Journal http://bit.ly/rszDmi

“50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker, is a little gem of a book, packed full of delectable vegetarian and vegan soup recipes in its 84 pages. Author Alley, has written five cookbooks, three of them on slow cooking, writes articles on food and wine for a variety of publications, and has taught cooking classes in both the US and the south of France. The recipes span the globe; Indian, Italian, Russian, South American, Middle Eastern, etc. Color photos accompany many of the soups and the book is spiral bound, making it easy to cook from. There are tips and tricks for using your slow cooker effectively and for maximizing the flavor of your soups with different techniques and recipes. A great little book for soup lovers and slow cooker fans.” ––Kahakai Kitchen http://bit.ly/nrEJSt

“This book is tiny, tempting, and packed with mouthwatering photos that will make you feel warm and cozy…and long for cool days in which you can eat soup while relaxing at home. Or while tailgating in the Autumn weather. Or after cracking open a thermos at work. Aaaahhhh…. This is a small, simple book with just 51 recipes. But each recipe is a star in its own right. … This is a fun little book to add to your collection if you’re a soup lover, a fan of meals you can cook up in the slow cooker, a vegetarian…or if you simply wish to beef up your cookbook collection with a good book of tasty soups. I think it would also make a fabulous gift for someone heading off to college (with a slow cooker and an immersion blender alongside) or perhaps a young person or couple embarking on a new chapter in their life.” ––Girli Chef http://bit.ly/nwXO5d?

If you’ve got a burning desire to keep ’em down on the farm during the fall or winter holiday season, here’s the perfect way to do it. Fill the house with the smell of spiced apples. I recommend using Granny Smith apples, as most other apple varieties are likely to produce a weaker version of this soup. You need acid and flavor, and the Granny Smith delivers both.

Try to find organic apples, then leave the skins intact as most of the flavor and nutrients are found in or just under the skins of the fruit. Use your imagination when it comes to garnishes: perhaps some chopped, toasted walnuts, grated sharp cheddar cheese, or a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

Serves 4 to 6

1 stick cinnamon
6 cloves
6 allspice berries
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
5 large Granny Smith apples, quartered, cored, and sliced
5 cups water
2/3 cup raisins
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
3 to 4 tablespoons honey (optional)
1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt or sour cream

Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the cinnamon, cloves, and allspice to a fine powder.

Place the butter and apples in a 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours, until the apples are soft and the juice nice and browned. Mash any large pieces of apple, then add the water, spices, and raisins and continue cooking for 2 hours longer.

Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and honey. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the yogurt.

Indispensable Tools of the Trade: The Spice Grinder
Spices will taste brighter and fresher if ground just before using, just like the pepper that is ground fresh over your salad at table. This may sound like a lot of work at first, but once you’ve got a system, the rest is easy. It is generally simplest to buy spices in bulk, keep them in the freezer, and pull whatever spice out of the freezer and grind it as you need it. Spices can be ground with an electric mill or by hand with a mortar and pestle. If you are truly pressed for time, feel free to substitute commercially ground spices for the whole spices recommended in the recipes. Substituting 1 teaspoon of whole spice for 1 teaspoon of ground spice should get you close enough!

Ahhh . . . I love this stuff. This is not your ordinary chili but reflects the rich combinations of ingredients found in real Mexican cuisine. You might even think of it as a bean mole, since it combines many of the spices and ingredients, including both chile powder and cocoa powder, usually found in mole poblano. It’s got guts and flavor, and I love it with or without the cornbread crust. It’s best sprinkled with lots of cheese, sliced olives, scallions, and cilantro.

Serves 6 to 8

1 pound (2 cups) dried black beans
6 cups water
6 allspice berries
1 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon aniseed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 to 2 tablespoons chile powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Cornbread crust1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk

Toppings
1/2 cup sour cream or nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Rinse the beans thoroughly and place them, along with the water, in a 7-quart slow cooker. In a spice mill or mortar and pestle, grind the allspice, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and aniseed. Add the spices, along with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, bell peppers, oregano, chile powder, and cocoa powder to the beans. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, until the beans are tender. Turn the slow cooker up to HIGH.

To make the crust, in a food processor pulse the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly mixed. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, and buttermilk and pulse until the liquid ingredients are thoroughly mixed in with the dry. Spread the cornbread mixture over the top of the chili, or drop large spoonfuls around the surface of the chili, and continue cooking on HIGH with the lid slightly ajar for 1 hour longer, or until a toothpick inserted into the crust comes out clean. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of scallions, olives, and cilantro.

A Word About Beans
Bean cooking times may vary, sometimes greatly, in accordance with the condition of the beans themselves. Beans that have recently been harvested are likely to be in good condition; beans that have been sitting on the shelf for a long time may take a very long time to cook. Try to purchase beans from a source with a rapid turnover rate, and check the package. If the beans look chipped or there are “crumbs” in the package, chances are the beans have been sitting around for a long time.

Who doesn’t love a comforting bowl of soup? There’s something for everyone in this book from renowned slow-cooker cookbook author Lynn Alley. 50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker is an all-new collection of vegetarian and vegan recipes that are easy on the planet, the palate, and the pocketbook.

Lynn provides not only a few classics, such as Ribollita and French Onion soups, but also unique flavors such as Spiced Apple Pie Soup and Garnet Yam Soup with Coconut Cream. Each recipe is full of details and ideas that make cooking more convenient and less time consuming.

50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker has a fantastic format featuring an easy-to-use, concealed wire-o that lies flat and makes it easy to turn pages. That and the full-color format, featuring 20 mouthwatering photos, will make 50 Simple Soups a great gift or stocking stuffer.

Other Great Recipes Include:

• Adzuki Bean–Miso Soup
• Blue Cheese Potato Soup
• Spanish Potato and Green Olive Soup
• Curried Butternut Squash Soup