Thai Chicken Soup - Slow Cooker

The chill of autumn has finally hit after what was a very long summer. With that cooler weather comes wonderful food and soups. I'm alway looking for slow cooker meals that mean I can arrive home to a meal cooked or almost cooked. Especially nice when its dark when I get home from work.

I've pinned several slow cooker soups to try out. My soup repertoire is pretty limited at the moment - 4-5 favourites that I cook and the chicken and vegetable soup that is different each time depending on what veges are in the fridge or garden.

I love Thai flavours and this looked good because it can be spiced up with chilli after cooking so everyone in the family can have the spiciness they want.

I'd have loved more coriander (cilantro) , unfortunately I never have much luck growing it and the plants in the garden only supplied a few sprigs.

The soup needed salt and I think I'd add fish sauce to give a bit more flavour. Overall it was one I'd make again due to a good taste and the ease of making it.


Thai Chicken Soup - Slow Cooker

Carrot and Orange Soup

I had way too many carrots so was pleased to find this recipe included with my Ooooby Box this week.
I'm not super keen on carrots but this soup was really quite nice. The orange and the sweetness from the carrots make it quite a sweet flavour.








4 Tbsp of butter
2 cups of onions diced
1 kg of carrots chopped
4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)
salt and pepper to taste
grated zest of orange, optional

Saute onion in melted butter in a large stock pot. Cover and simmer over a low heat until tender. Add the carrots and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.
Blend or process and then add the orange juice. Season to taste and top with orange zest (if using) just before serving.

A yummy easy to make soup is a great meal on a cold night. It isn't really easy to distinguish what exactly is in it. I love anything with cannellini beans in it but they weren't obvious in this soup once they were blended in with everything else.












Roasted Asparagus and White Bean Soup 
Serves 4-5, adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch asparagus, about 1 1/2 lb, ends removed
• 2 leeks, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 cup dried white beans, soaked overnight and boiled until tender
• 6 cups vegetable broth, water, or bean cooking liquid (or any combination of the three)
• 2 oz grated parmesan cheese
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450.  Arrange asparagus on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Roast for 10-15 minutes or until tender.  Set aside.
2. In the meantime, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the leeks and saute until tender, 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add in the garlic and rosemary and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.  
3. Stir the potatoes, cauliflower, cooked white beans and vegetable broth in to the pot.  Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil, then lower it to a simmer, just so that the mixture remains bubbling even when partially covered.  Let simmer for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through.
4. Puree soup with an immersion blender.  Stir in the parmesan cheese.
5. Chop the asparagus and add it to the soup.  
6. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Lemon and Broccoli Soup

I've made variations of this soup for a while now. I actually searched this blog for the recipe thinking I must have already posted it.
It's different every time depending on what I have in the fridge or garden. Broccoli was on special at the supermarket today and the weather is a bit cool and wet so it seemed the ideal day for this soup for lunch.

My stick blender is broken so today's soup had a more 'chunky' texture. The food processor didn't give the same smoothness.
I didn't add the cream while cooking but we did have sour cream on the table to put in it.

I made a double recipe and froze some in snap lock bags for easy thawing at a later date.

Lemon and Broccoli Soup - recipe
50g unsalted butter
1 leek, ringed and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 broccoli head chopped
4 cups of vegetable stock
100g baby spinach leaves (I used silver beet and have also used frozen spinach in the past)
1 cup cream
1 tbsp lemon juice (I use a bit more)
Sea salt and backed pepper (check before adding this as the stock can be salty enough)
80g fresh ricotta cheese

Heat a deep, medium saucepan over a high heat. Add butter, leek and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until tender.
Add broccoli and stock and bring to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the broccoli is tender. Add the spinach and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
Hand blend the soup until smooth.
Stir in the cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Ladle into bowls and top with ricotta to serve.

Mexican spiced tomato and lentil soup - recipe

I know its not really soup weather and that if I'm really honest we are too close to summer for soup but I have been craving this one for ages. To be honest I'm not even sure I made it over winter.

The recipe comes from Sophie Gray's (also known as the Destitute Gourmet) 'Enjoy'. I love the fact that it is vegetarian but has lentils in it for protein.

It uses Mexican Seasoning which is a recipe included in the book alone with a number of others that I make regularly to have on hand to quickly add to meals. (I'll include a couple soon).

I served it with toasted home made breads - focaccia, garlic and herb and basic white bread.

Mexican spiced tomato and lentil soup

2 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic chopped

3 tsp Mexican seasoning (cumin, chilli, sugar, oregano, salt)

2 x 400g chopped canned tomatos

6 cups stock (I used beef but vege or chicken is fine)

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 cups red lentils

1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander

sour cream to garnish

In large saucepan, heat oil and add onion and garlic. Cook until light golden.

Mix in the Mexican seasoning, then add tomato, stock, tomato paste, lentils and sugar. Bring to boil and stir, then reduce temp and simmer for 45 minutes. Add chopped fresh herbs and garnish with a dollop of sour cream.