Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup

I like to make a big pot of soup every weekend. I usually cook it on the stove but sometimes I use the crock pot just so I don’t have to watch it as much. My first secret ingredient in this soup is butternut squash. It starts to break down as it gets soft and that helps to thicken the soup. The second secret ingredient is chicken legs and thighs, because they make the broth tastier than boneless skinless breasts. And the final secret ingredient? Better Than Bullion chicken flavor. It makes for a very flavorful broth. I’ve added mushrooms and celery to this soup in the past and both are yummy but I didn’t have them on hand today.

• Chicken: 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings (or any combo of those parts- this is how we package the chickens my in-laws raise so it’s what I use)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 3/4 cup wild rice mix
• 1 Tbsp Better Than Bullion Chicken Flavor
• Water to cover everything (6-7 cups)

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker and set it to high for 4 hours. Remove the chicken, shred it and add it back to the soup. Serve with fresh bread or crackers.

Anna loves bread with her soup. For her, I simply mash up the softened veggies and chicken to make it an easier consistency to eat.

What’s your favorite type of soup? Please share in the comments!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 whole butternut squash
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 large onion
• 1/4 cup chopped cooked ham (optional)
• 1 clove garlic
• few sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 fresh sage leaves
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 qt chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup half and half

Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Place cut-side down and bake in a 400°F oven for 1 hour or until tender.  Cool enough to handle.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onion and ham, then add the garlic, thyme, sage, and red pepper flakes.  Scoop the flesh of the squash into the pot and saute for a few minutes.  Season with salt and pepper then add the stock.

Simmer for 20 minutes, then puree the soup in a food processor or blender in batches.  Add the soup back to the pot and stir in the half and half.  Heat through and serve hot with your choice of toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, crackers or croutons.

Garden Tomato Soup

Or, “Tomato Soup, Hold the Fingertip”

After cutting my thumb in my first attempt to make tomato soup out of my garden’s bounty, I decided to get right back on the horse. 

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 large or 2 small leeks
• about 3-4 quarts fresh tomatoes, (or I’d estimate 2 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes)
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer to ice water.  Peel and crush the tomatoes with your hands, removing seeds to a fine mesh sieve placed over a bowl to catch the juices.  Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, then slice them VERY CAREFULLY (this is how I cut the tip off my thumb last time!)  Roughly chop the basil. 

Melt the butter in a large cast iron pot and saute the leeks until softened.  Add the tomatoes, stock and basil.  Simmer for 30-45 minutes until tomatoes are fully cooked and falling apart.  Puree in batches and serve immediately, or transfer to containers to freeze.

Serve hot and garnish with any (or all) of the following: sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh herbs, crackers, or a grilled cheese sandwich.  For a variation, stir in leftover rice and heat through for tomato rice soup.

*Sorry, I forgot to take a picture before I put it in the freezer!

Beef Vegetable Soup

I made a delicious pot roast on Monday in the slow cooker using Laura’s recipe for Carbonade de Boueff à la Flamande, substituting rump roast for chuck roast.  While I can’t pronounce that name, it sure looks nicer than what I’d call it: rump roast cooked in beer with onions, and it was really good and tender.  I wonder if it was the beer? I’ve never cooked with beer before, but I figured it was worth a try, and it turned out really good.  There was no taste from the beer (good… since I HATE the smell and taste of alcohol), the meat was just really tender. 

However, Ed and I can only eat so much pot roast, so there were quite a bit of leftovers.  I was so sick and tired of being cold that I decided to make some homemade rolls and beef vegetable soup.

It was really easy.  I cubed up the cooked roast and put that in a pot with the juices I saved from cooking it.  I then added diced red potatoes, chopped garlic cloves, a 12 ounce can of crushed tomatoes and water to cover it.  I would have added carrots but I’m out, since I’ve been feeding them to a certain special horse lately.  I let the pot simmer for about 30 minutes, then added in some thawed corn and green beans that I froze last summer and brought it back up to a simmer for another 30 minutes, then seasoned with salt and pepper.  I can see myself using this recipe a lot, with whatever vegetables I have on hand.

Spicy Squash Soup with Kielbasa and Corn

The combination of the rainy day today and my little injury made me want soup.  I’ve been wanting to try making butternut squash soup, and since I had some kielbasa in the fridge, I came up with this recipe.  It’s spicy and creamy, and made from ingredients that I had on hand.

• 8 oz. kielbasa, cut into small cubes
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 quart stock (I had turkey stock in the freezer, but use whatever you have)
• 1 cup pureed roasted butternut squash or other winter squash or pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernals
• 1 tsp dried or 1 Tbsp fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, sage or rosemary are nice)
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup half and half

In a large Dutch oven, brown the kielbasa.  Add the onions and garlic, and saute until transparent.  Deglaze the pan with the apple cider vinegar.  Add the stock and bring it up to a simmer, then stir in the squash and corn kernals.  Add seasonings.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, then stir in the half and half and heat through.  Serve with crusty bread.

Next time I make this, I think I’m going to try it with chorizo to give it a pretty red color and even more spice.