Soups

Soups are standard fare for the slow cooker and a great way of getting the family to eat vegetables.

So that you don't have to be bothered with loads of chopping, I've used mostly frozen vegetables, which are as nutritious as fresh. But look out, too, for ready-prepared fresh ones that are reduced for quick sale. If you can't use them that day, pop them, still sealed in their bag or container, in the freezer for up to a week. Because you're going to slow cook them, it won't matter that they will go a bit limp on thawing. However, the ones frozen at source will have a higher nutritional value than the cut-up fresh ones that have been sitting in the chiller cabinet of the supermarket for several days, as they begin to lose nutrients as soon as they are peeled, chopped or shredded.

Tips for great slow-cooked soups

Allow a 5 cm/2 in headspace in the pot when you are cooking soups to allow for bubbling during cooking.
If the finished soup is too thick, you can always thin it down with a little boiling water or stock.
If the finished result is too thin, remove the lid and cook on High for 15 minutes to thicken the soup.
For extra richness, stir in a spoonful of cream to thick soups just before serving.
Add a splash of wine or brandy to a hearty soup to add depth.
Taste and your soups and adjust the seasoning to taste. A dash of Worcestershire sauce at the end of cooking will perk up a plain soup.
Most ordinary soup recipes can be used in the slow cooker. There's generally less evaporation, so you can reduce the liquid content by 30 per cent if you like a thicker soup.
You can make a meal of most soup recipes by serving with your favourite crusty bread, pittas or rolled tortillas.

Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup

This is a delicious creamy, almost velvety soup with a rich flavour. You can, of course, use a small head of broccoli and half a small cauliflower, cut into florets (or just a whole small cauliflower and omit the broccoli) in place of the frozen, if you prefer.

Serves 4-6

450 g/1 lb fresh or frozen broccoli and cauliflower florets
8 washed baby potatoes
30 ml/2 tbsp dried onion flakes
900 ml/1½ pts/3¾ cups boiling vegetable stock
1 bouquet garni sachet
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100 g/4 oz/1 cup grated strong Cheddar cheese
60 ml/4 tbsp dried milk powder (non-fat dry milk)
A little chopped fresh or frozen parsley to garnish

Put the broccoli and cauliflower, potatoes, onion flakes, stock and bouquet garni in the crock pot. Season well.
Cover and cook on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours until the vegetables are really tender.
Discard the bouquet garni, then tip the soup into a blender or food processor, add the cheese and milk powder and run the machine until smooth.
Pour the mixture back into the crock pot, cover and leave on Low to heat through for 5 minutes or until ready to serve.
Taste and re-season, if necessary. Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with parsley.
Serve with crusty bread.

Serving Tip
This is quite filling, so don't serve it as a starter unless you are really hungry!

Brussels Soup with Nutmeg

I bet you can convert even non-sprout-lovers with this wonderful soup. It's so easy to make and, even if you use fresh ones, you don't need to bother to peel off the outer leaves; just rinse them under the tap and pop them in the pot.

Serves 4-6

450 g/1 lb fresh or frozen Brussels sprouts
4 washed small potatoes
45 ml/3 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
30 ml/2 tbsp dried onion flakes
1 bouquet garni sachet
900 ml/1½ pts/3¾ cups boiling chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A good pinch of ground nutmeg
120 ml/4 fl oz/½ cup single (light) cream

Put the sprouts in the crock pot with the potatoes, add the flour and toss so everything is coated in the flour. Add the onion flakes and bouquet garni, then pour on the boiling stock. Stir well and season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.
Cover and cook on High for 3 hours or Low for 6 hours until the sprouts and potatoes are really tender.
Discard the bouquet garni, then tip the soup into a blender or food processor and add all but 30 ml/2 tbsp of the cream. Run the machine until smooth.
Taste and re-season, if necessary, then return to the crock pot on Low until ready to serve.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a swirl of the remaining cream.
Serve with fresh white bread.

Freezing Tip
If you enjoy soup, why not make extra and freeze some handy-sized portions?

Chilli Beef Potage

Hearty and warming, this soup is perfect for a winter lunch or supper. Try serving it with a packet of ready-made croûtons or some crushed plain corn tortilla chips to throw in at the table, some flour tortillas rolled up - or even just fresh crusty bread!

Serves 4

225 g/8 oz/2 cups free-flow frozen minced (ground) beef
5 ml/1 tsp chopped garlic from a jar, or 1 garlic clove, chopped
2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cumin
1.5-2.5 ml/¼-½ tsp crushed dried chillies, or to taste
A good handful of frozen sliced mixed (bell) peppers, or 1 large fresh pepper, sliced
400 g/14 oz/1 large can of red kidney beans, drained
900 ml/1½ pts/3¾ cups boiling beef stock
30 ml/2 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
2.5 ml/½ tsp dried oregano
A good pinch of caster (superfine) sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
20 ml/4 tsp soured (dairy sour) cream to garnish (optional)

Spread out the minced beef evenly in the crock pot. Add all the remaining ingredients except the soured cream garnish, if using, and stir well.
Cover and cook on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours until everything is tender.
Taste and re-season if necessary. Ladle into warm bowls and garnish each with a little soured cream, if liked.
Serve with croûtons or tortilla chips.

Cook's Tip
It's important to use free-flow frozen mince so the grains of meat remain separate.

Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup has plenty of chicken and noodles to make it really tasty and is a far cry from the watery versions you may have tasted in the past. It couldn't be simpler to make so you'll soon find it's a family favourite.

Serves 4

3 skinless chicken thighs
1 onion,washed and halved (no need to peel, just discard any loose outer layers)
1 bay leaf
1 slab of dried medium egg noodles, crumbled
900 ml/1½ pts/3¾ cups boiling chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A little chopped fresh or frozen parsley to garnish

Put all the ingredients except the parsley garnish in the crock pot.
Cover and cook on High for 3 hours or Low for 6 hours.
Discard the bay leaf. Lift the chicken out of the pot with a draining spoon. Pull all the meat off the bones, using a knife and fork, and cut into small pieces.
Return the meat to the crock pot, taste and re-season if necessary. Ladle into warm bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Serve with pitta bread.

Serving Tip
If you want to transform this into a more substantial lunch or supper dish, fill the pitta bread with your favourite salad ingredients and a little mayonnaise or other favourite dressing.

Butternut Squash Soup

Golden, warming, soothing, delicious - that's four adjectives that perfectly describe this easy-to-make soup. You can, of course, prepare your own squash (or use pumpkin instead) but this is the fast way.

Serves 4-6

15 ml/1 tbsp softened butter
A good handful of frozen diced onion, or 1 large fresh onion, chopped
500 g/1¼ lb frozen or fresh diced butternut squash
4 washed small potatoes
2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cumin
2.5 ml/½ tsp paprika
2.5 ml/½ tsp dried mixed herbs
5 ml/1 tsp caster (superfine) sugar
900 ml /1½ pints/3¾ cups boiling chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15 ml/1 tbsp single (light) cream

Mix the butter with the onion in the crock pot, then add all the remaining ingredients except the cream.
Cover and cook on High for 3 hours or Low for 6 hours until the squash and potatoes are very tender.
When the soup is cooked, tip into a blender or food processor and run the machine until it is a smooth purée. Taste and re-season if necessary.
Return the soup to the crock pot on Low to keep warm until ready to serve ladled into warm soup bowls.
Swirl the cream into the soup and serve with crusty bread.

Serving Tip
For an even richer result, try a spoonful of mascarpone in the soup.

Chicken, Corn and Shiitake Soup

Normally when you use dried mushrooms you need to reconstitute them first, but here the long, slow cooking plumps them up beautifully and they impart a delicious, intense flavour.

Serves 6

A good handful of frozen diced onion, or 1 fresh onion, chopped
225 g/8 oz/2 cups frozen sweetcorn
60 ml/4 tbsp dried shiitake mushrooms
10 ml/2 tsp root ginger from a jar, or use freshly grated
5 ml/1 tsp chopped garlic from a jar, or 1 garlic clove, chopped
10 ml/2 tsp dried chives
2 skinless chicken thighs
900 ml/1½ pts/3¾ cups boiling chicken stock
45 ml/3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
30 ml/2 tbsp dry sherry
30 ml/2 tbsp soy sauce

Put all the ingredients except the cornflour, sherry and soy sauce in the crock pot.
Blend the cornflour with the sherry and soy sauce and stir in.
Cover and cook on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 6-8 hours until the mushrooms are tender.
Lift the chicken out of the pot with a draining spoon. Pull off the meat with a knife and fork and cut in small pieces. Return to the soup.
Ladle into warm bowls.
Serve with prawn crackers.

Cook's Tip
If you can't find dried shiitake mushrooms, use mixed dried mushrooms instead.

Vegetable and Tomato Soup

When I created this soup I was amazed that it was reminiscent of a famous canned variety! Choose the original kind of mixed vegetables with tiny carrots, peas, sweetcorn and beans - you don't want any large chunks.

Serves 4

350 g/12 oz frozen diced mixed vegetables
30 ml/2 tbsp dried onion flakes
60 ml/4 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
60 ml/4 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
900 ml/1½ pts/3¾ cups boiling chicken or vegetable stock
5 ml/1 tsp dried mixed herbs
10 ml/2 tsp caster (superfine) sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the vegetables and onion flakes in the crock pot and stir in the cornflour. Stir in the tomato purée and stock and add the herbs, sugar and a little salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on High for 3 hours or Low for 6 hours until really tender and slightly thickened.
Taste and re-season, if necessary. Ladle into warm bowls and serve with hot buttered toast.

Serving Tip
Try it topped with grated cheese or some crisp, crumbled bacon.

Spinach and Broad Bean Soup

I have teamed up these two vegetables on numerous occasions before. For some reason they are natural partners. You can omit the poached eggs, if you like, but they do make it a very special soup indeed.

Serves 4

30 ml/2 tbsp dried onion flakes
4 washed small potatoes or 1 large potato, diced
350 g/12 oz ready-washed fresh or frozen spinach
225 g/8 oz frozen broad (fava) beans
2.5 ml/½ tsp dried mixed herbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A good pinch of ground nutmeg
900 ml/1½ pts/3¾ cups boiling chicken or vegetable stock
120 ml/4 fl oz/½ cup single (light) cream
4 eggs
30 ml/2 tbsp lemon juice
4 small sprigs of parsley to garnish (optional)

Put all the ingredients except the cream, eggs, lemon juice and parsley garnish in the crock pot, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours until everything is tender.
When the soup is cooked, tip into a blender or food processor, add the cream and run the machine until it is a smooth purée. Taste and re-season with more nutmeg, salt and pepper, if necessary.
Return to the crock pot on Low.
When ready to serve, poach the eggs in water with the lemon juice added (or use an egg poacher) for 3 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
Quickly ladle the soup into warm shallow bowls. Using a draining spoon, if cooked in water and lemon juice, lift out the eggs one at a time and slide one into each bowl. If using a poacher, loosen the eggs and gently tip them into the soup so they slide out of the cups yolk-side up. Garnish each with a small sprig of parsley and serve with crusty bread rolls.

Cook's Tip
Parsley is easy to grow in a pot on the windowsill and you can use it to flavour and garnish so many dishes.

Red Lentil and Carrot Soup

Thick, rich and warming, this delicious soup is a real rib-sticker, perfect to greet you when you come home from work on a dark, winter evening. It makes a substantial lunch or supper with lots of crusty bread.

Serves 4

100 g/4 oz/2/3 cup red lentils
30 ml/2 tbsp dried onion flakes
400 g/14 oz/large can of tomatoes
225 g/8 oz frozen carrots
4 washed small potatoes
A good pinch of caster (superfine) sugar
15 ml/1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin
10 ml/2 tsp chopped fresh or frozen coriander (cilantro)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
900 ml/1½ pts pt/3¾ cups boiling chicken or vegetable stock
20 ml/4 tsp plain yoghurt and a little paprika to garnish

Put all the ingredients except the yoghurt and paprika garnish in the crock pot.
Cover and cook on High for 3 hours or Low for 6 hours until everything is really soft.
When the soup is cooked, tip into a blender or food processor and run the machine until it is a smooth purée. Taste and re-season, if necessary.
Return to the crock pot, cover and leave on Low until ready to serve.
Ladle into warm bowls and garnish each with a swirl of yoghurt and a sprinkling of paprika.
Serve with crusty bread.

Serving Tip
If you don't like your soup quite so thick, after puréeing add some extra stock or some milk to thin it to the consistency you prefer.

Tomato, Bean and Basil Soup

This soup can be cooked in a saucepan, of course, but this way you can leave it on Low - even much longer than I have said here. It won't spoil; the flavour will just get better and better!

Serves 6

2 thick slices of ciabatta or other white bread
400 g/14 oz/large can of haricot (navy) beans, drained
2 x 400 g/14 oz/large cans of chopped tomatoes
30 ml/2 tbsp dried onion flakes
5 ml/1 tsp chopped garlic from a jar, or 1 garlic clove, chopped
10 ml/2 tsp caster (superfine) sugar
15 ml/1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
15 ml/1 tbsp white balsamic condiment
45 ml/3 tbsp olive oil
300 ml/½ pt/1¼ cups boiling chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
6 tiny sprigs of basil to garnish

Soak the bread in water for 2 minutes, then squeeze out the excess water and crumble the bread into the crock pot. Add the beans, tomatoes, onion flakes, garlic, sugar, tomato purée, balsamic condiment, oil, stock and salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours until everything is really soft and pulpy.
Stir the soup thoroughly, then stir in the chopped basil. Taste and re-season, if necessary.
Ladle into warm bowls and garnish each serving with a tiny sprig of basil. Serve with ciabatta bread.

Serving Tip
This doesn't really need an accompaniment, but you could indulge yourself with some garlic bread if you are really hungry.

Lamb, Barley and Vegetable Soup

I've used a meaty lamb bone left over from the Sunday roast, but you could also use two or three scrag end (stewing lamb) pieces or one lamb shank (but they're quite expensive). It makes a really hearty meal for lunch or supper with some crusty bread.

Serves 4

85 g/3½ oz/½ cup pearl barley
1 meaty roasted shoulder or leg of lamb bone
A good handful of frozen diced onion, or 1 fresh onion, chopped
225 g/8 oz frozen diced mixed vegetables
900 ml/1½ pts/3¾ cups boiling lamb or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh or frozen parsley

Put all the ingredients except the parsley in the crock pot.
Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours.
Lift the lamb out of the pot and cut all the bits of meat off the bone. Cut into small pieces and return to the pot.
Discard the bay leaf, taste and re-season, if necessary, then stir in the parsley.
Ladle into warm bowls.
Serve with crusty bread.

Serving Tip
You could follow this with some cheese and fruit for a complete meal.