The Great American Slow Cooker Book (15 page)

1
Fry the bacon bits in a large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp, stirring occasionally, between 6 and 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pieces to the slow cooker.

2
Add the onions and carrots to the bacon fat in the skillet; cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, between 3 and 5 minutes. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker. Stir in the broth, lentils, tomatoes, tomato paste, smoked paprika, and pepper.

3
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 7 hours, or until the lentils are tender.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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Although there’s a little to do at the stove here, it’s hard to imagine a simpler soup, one you’ll be glad to find when you come home from the day. The smoky bacon bits pair gorgeously with the earthy, slightly musky lentils.

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Swap other vegetables for the carrot: diced peeled butternut squash, chopped fennel, chopped parsnips, or diced peeled sweet potatoes. In the case of the squash and the sweet potatoes, the pieces must be diced: ¼-inch cubes.

Serve It Up!
Poach eggs in warm water until the yolks are barely set. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to bowls, then ladle the soup over them.

1
Stir the broth, onions, lentils, carrots, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.

2
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours, or until the lentils are soft and luxurious.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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Lentil soup is hearty and filling, a very earthy soup that’s best for a chilly evening. Add up to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes for some culinary heat.

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Add more vegetables if you like: for the largest slow cooker, up to ½ cup thinly sliced celery, 1 cup trimmed and chopped fennel, and/or 1 cup peeled, thinly sliced parsnips. (You won’t have as much room for more in the smallest slow cooker.) If you do add more veggies, increase the broth as well, up to 50 percent more for the largest addition of all three.

Serve It Up!
Make an easy
Frisée Salad:
Tear feathery bits of frisée lettuce from the root. Dress with a simple vinaigrette made from four parts walnut oil and one part cider vinegar, whisking in a dab of Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce before pouring it over the frisée.

1
Rinse the split peas in a colander set in the sink.

2
Pour them into the slow cooker along with the broth, onion, chiles, cilantro, butter, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 9 hours, or until the split peas are meltingly tender. Discard the bay leaf or leaves before serving.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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Sort of a salsa verde version of split pea soup, this recipe shows our deep love for the foods of the American Southwest.

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For a spicier finish, don’t use canned green chiles. Instead, add some red pepper flakes, up to 1 tablespoon in the large batch, or sprinkle some ancho chile powder into the mix—up to 1 tablespoon in the large batch.

1
Stir the broth, chestnuts, split peas, onion, thyme, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or until the soup is quite thick.

2
Stir in the cream. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the slow cooker; or working in batches, puree the soup in a large blender by ladling some in, covering, and blending until smooth, all before pouring it back into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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yellow split peas give this soup most of its body. It’s warm and mild, great for a late fall or early spring evening.

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For a bit more decadence, add up to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter with the broth and other ingredients.

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Black pepper will indeed leave dark dots in the soup. Use ground white pepper, if you prefer.

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Yellow split peas are simply the yellow version of the more familiar green split peas. Look for yellow split peas near the other dried beans or in the aisle with Latin American foods. Don’t confuse yellow split peas with East Indian chana dal.

1
Pour the beans into a big bowl, fill the bowl about two-thirds full with cool tap water, and set aside to soak for 12 hours or up to 16 hours (that is, overnight).

2
Drain the beans in a colander set in the sink and pour them into the slow cooker. Stir in both broths, the onion, bell pepper, cilantro, oregano, orange zest, garlic, pepper, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or until the beans are tender. Find and discard the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick.

3
Stir in the orange juice concentrate and salt. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes to heat through.

TESTERS’ NOTES

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Since salt can toughen black beans as they cook, add it at the end for creamier texture.

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If you want a sour pop, substitute sherry vinegar for the orange juice concentrate.

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Rather than adding heat to the soup itself, pass bottled hot pepper sauce at the table.

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We like a chunky black bean soup. However, you can puree it once the bay leaves and cinnamon stick have been removed. In fact, you don’t have to puree the whole batch—you can puree a portion, stirring this back in to thicken the remaining soup.

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Throw a smoked ham hock into the soup as it begins to cook. Afterwards, take out the hock, shred the meat off the bone, and stir that meat into the soup before serving.