Crock Pots for Winter Soups

There’s nothing like coming in from the cold to a pot of rich, freshly made soup steaming on the table. Or snuggling with your favorite soup in front of the fire, unwinding after a long day. Or sharing a big pot with the family around the dinner table. We all have our comfort foods for the cold days, but for most of us, nothing beats a good winter soup.

 

Not a kitchen whiz? No problem. Just bring out your trusty crock pot and work with whatever’s lying around. Many recipes for crock pots are simple enough for beginners and fit in perfectly with the winter weather. Read on for some tips on making the best winter soups with your crock pot.

 

Getting that all-day flavor

Before crock pots, you had to cook your soups all day to get that rich, creamy texture, or use unhealthy amounts of full-fat cream. But you can get the same effect by cooking at low temperature for just a few hours. Most crock pots can cook a full load in six hours or so—about half the time it takes on a stovetop. So you don’t just enjoy your meal sooner, you’re also saving a good deal by using up less energy.

 

If you want it extra thick, make a quick roux from flour and butter and add it to the soup a few minutes before the timer stops. Just mix equal amounts of flour and butter over a fire until you get a thick paste, and add enough broth to get the consistency you want.

 

Working with vegetables

Crock pot vegetable soup is one of the simplest and most versatile slow cooker recipes. You can throw in whatever veggies you have and come up with a hearty winter soup. Of course, it’s also important to blend all the flavors together. Just keep a stock of broth around to serve as your soup base. You can make your own by pre-cooking your meats and seasoning the water, or simply buy ready-made stock at the store. Basic flavors like beef and chicken will go with pretty much everything.

 

Make sure to choose the lowest setting on your crock pot when working with soft vegetables. Long hours of cooking can drain out their natural flavor, so overcooking will give you a bland, squishy soup. If you’re mixing them with meat, add the softer veggies after the meat is done. Take note of the different cooking times and add the slowest-cooking ingredients last. These are usually the hard, heavy ones and root crops.

 

Flavoring with meat

Cheaper cuts of meat actually lend more flavor than tender cuts like sirloin. Look for cuts close to the bone to get maximum flavor for your soup base. There’s no need to pressure-cook or add tenderizers—the crock pot does the work for you. Beef and pork cuts work well with most crock pot soup recipes.

 

Try not to go overboard with the spices when working with meat. You want the meat to complement the freshness of the vegetables, not be drowned out in twenty different spices. Sometimes a bit of salt and pepper is enough. Add your spices midway through the cooking time; this will allow them to seep into the meat and make your soup more flavorful.

 

Adding color

Often, you can tell a soup is good for you just by checking its colors. Try to keep a good balance of nutrients in your soup—you should have your greens, a bit of red for spice, and some yellow for a fruity touch. It’s not just for presentation; a variety of colors shows a healthy combination drawing from all the food groups.

 

Don’t be afraid to tweak basic recipes to make them more presentable. Take that zucchini soup recipe and add some bell pepper, pumpkin, or snow peas. Not only will it look more festive, it’ll also taste better and have a richer texture. You can do the same with the classics such as pea soup and tomato soup.

 

Controlling heat

A crock pot working half a day still uses less energy than a stove pressure-cooking for an hour. Of course, that’s no reason to leave it on all week. If you’ve got a large pot left over, simply turn it on a few minutes before serving—think of it as a low-cost microwave. Just make sure to stir it occasionally to make sure it’s evenly heated. You can use the higher settings to reheat while keeping it low for the actual cooking.

 

Some vegetables will get bland after a couple of heatings, so make sure all the flavor is still locked in. A basic chicken soup will be good for a whole weekend, but a pumpkin soup crock pot recipe may not. Consider making smaller batches if you’re using soft vegetables as your main ingredient.

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