Slow Cooker Soup Recipes

Slow cooker soup recipes are extremely easy and quick to prepare and are an excellent way to clear out the vegetable rack or the vegetable drawer in the fridge.

Vegetables that are a little past their best and that you wouldn't present on a plate can be trimmed as needed and used for soup where imperfections won't be noticed.

There is no need to make a separate stock for slow cooker soup, as the ingredients will make their own stock as part of the slow cooking process. Dried herbs work well in slow cooker soup recipes because the long cooking time re-hydrates them. Bay leaves also add a delicious subtle flavour to soups. A few fresh herbs added at the end of cooking will really punch the flavour out.

Long cooking times are ideal for crockpot soups because traditionally a soup pot would be kept by a stove or an open fire and added to as necessary. The flavours of the different ingredients are allowed to merge into a taste that transcends that of the individual constituents.

Thickening Slow Cooker Soups

Sometimes a slow cooker soup recipe will need to be thickened before serving. There are several ways to achieve this. If the basis of the soup contains peas, lentils, root vegetables or beans, pureeing the soup with a hand blender will thicken it.

The easiest way to thicken other types of slow cooker soup recipes is to use cornflour, (cornstarch). Put a teaspoon of cornflour in a cup, add a little cold water, mix well and stir into the soup and wait a few minutes. If it's still not thick enough, repeat.

Rice, cornmeal, breadcrumbs, bulgar wheat and arrowroot can also be used for thickening soups.

Crock Pot Corn Chowder

Crock pot corn chowder is something half way between a soup and a stew. If you can't find a can of creamed sweetcorn in your local store, don't worry. I couldn't either.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Slow cooker split pea soup is a traditional soup recipe ideal for making in slow cookers because the split peas don't need to be soaked overnight. Usually split pea soup is made with ham, but this is not necessary. Vegetarians just leave out the ham and add barley, potatoes or whatever you fancy.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Slow Cooker

This chicken tortilla soup slow cooker recipe is mildly spicy and wonderfully fresh tasting. I like to take a little care with the presentation of chicken tortilla soup. Slow cooker recipes often benefit from the addition of fresh herbs and coriander complements the flavour of this soup.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Slow cooker potato soup is often made with the addition of either leeks, ham, onions or cheese. Potatoes by themselves don't produce a lot of flavour. Using chicken stock and adding herbs, milk and butter helps.

Tips for Slow Cooker Soup Recipes

A hand blender is an extremely useful accessory for getting soups to the right texture before serving.

Spinach, cabbage, sprouts, broccoli and artichokes are best avoided in slow cooker soups as they can taste bitter.

Added flavour can be achieved by roasting or frying meat and vegetables before using.

Soups look more attractive served with croutons, a whirl of cream or fresh chopped herbs sprinkled on top.

If a soup is too acid, it can be sweetened with a little sugar or honey.

Wine, if used, should be stirred into the soup shortly before serving.

Don't add more salt if using stock cubes. For a soup that is too salty, adding an uncooked, peeled potato for the last half hour will absorb salt. Remove potato before serving.

Slow Cooker Tips

Fill cooker to at least half full, but not more than two thirds

Almost cover the ingredients with liquid for good transfer of heat

Lifting the lid during cooking will lose heat, increasing cooking time, and causing moisture loss

If using sugary ingredients, either use a liner or non-stick spray to make cleaning easier

Defrost ingredients before cooking

Place ingredients that are slower to cook, such as root vegetables, at the bottom of the cooker

Cooking on 'high' takes half as long as cooking on 'low'

If you had a power cut, there is no way of knowing if food is cooked properly. Throw it out

Don't re-heat food in a slow cooker

Cheaper, tougher cuts of meat will be tenderised in a slow cooker

Soak dried beans for twelve hours and boil for ten minutes before adding to the cooker to remove toxins

Adding a little liquid and pre-heating the cooker gives food a fast start