Lentil and Bacon Soup | Slow Cooker Soup

Simmer - a cooking mode unique to Cuisinart.  So essential for developing taste and flavor gently, especially important when making soups and stews like this winter warmer soup using lentils and bacon.

This Cuisinart slow cooker will simmer away all day, unattended, so you can come home to the most flavorful, tasty, nutritious soups and stews - the food of winter!

I love using lentils in my slow cooker, they don't need any pre-soaking or pre-cooking, and they are a great source of protein. To make this vegetarian friendly, leave out the bacon and add your favorite seasonings to add flavor.

Lentil and Bacon Soup

Serves 6

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours

4 rashes of bacon, de-rind and chop

2 onions, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 celery sticks, sliced

5 cups water or chicken or vegetable stock

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp dried mixed herbs

1-½ cups lentils

Add all ingredients to slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

You can either serve as is, with a grainy bread, or use an immersion blender stick to thicken all or just some of the soup, or cool slightly and use a blender to process it to a smooth consistency.

Enjoy!

Previous Post: Slow Cooker Chicken Hot Pot

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Slow Cooker Chicken Hot Pot | Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

The best thing about this time of year is being able to enjoy hearty, soul warming winter foods like this delicious Chicken Hot Pot.

Chicken and vegetables simmer slowly in a mild mustard and herb sauce. The bacon adds flavor and keeps the chicken moist.

There is nothing better than setting this going in the morning, knowing that you are coming home to a warm and aroma filled house, and a really yummy dinner, at the end of a long cold day.

This Cuisinart programmable 4 quart slow cooker will cook your dinner and keep it warm for you until you are ready to serve.  It's like an extra pair of hands in the the kitchen!  And when it's time to tidy up at the end of the meal, the Cuisinart's retractable cord stows itself for easy handling and storage - what a great idea!

Chicken Hot Pot

Serves 6

Cook on low for 8-½ to 10 hours or on high for 4-½ to 5-½ hours

6 chicken thighs, skinless, boneless, trimmed of all fat

1lb (450g) potatoes, peeled and diced into 2cm cubes

1lb (450g) pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and diced into 3cm cubes

3 Tbsp flour

½ tsp onion salt

1½ tsp dried thyme

6 rashers streaky bacon

¾ C chicken stock

1½ Tbsp dijon mustard

1½ Tbsp tomato paste

chopped fresh thyme to garnish

• Toss pumpkin and potato in flour in a plastic bag, tip into slow cooker.
• Sprinkle onion salt and thyme over vegetables.
• Wrap a bacon rasher around each piece of chicken and arrange chicken on top of vegetables in the slow cooker.
• In a small bowl, combine chicken stock, mustard and tomato puree, spoon evenly over chicken.
• Cover and cook on low for 8-½ to 10 hours or on high for 4-½ to 5-½ hours.

Garnish with thyme and serve with seasonal green vegetables and mash or a crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Previous Post: Satay Pork Meat Balls | Slow Cooker Pork Recipes

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Slow Cooker Soup | Curry Pumpkin and Kumara Soup

The quantity of curry powder produces a wonderful, warming curry flavour that blends well with the vegetables - this is one of my favourite pumpkin soups for sure, because of the curry! The split peas cooked in cold water to start just 'mush' into the mix and are not able to be seen or tasted, they are added to stretch the food budget, and sneak in some extra nutrition!
Curry Pumpkin and Kumara Soup


Serves 6-8
Cook on high for 3 hours

1lb / 500g pumpkin, peeled and de-seeded, chopped to 1 cm dice
1lb / 500g kumara (sweet potato), peeled and chopped to 1 cm dice
2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup dried yellow split peas
5 cups cold water
1 Tbsp dried chicken stock powder
1 Tbsp dried garlic granules (or 3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed)
1 Tbsp hot curry powder (use less or use a mild curry if serving to children)

As soon as you know you are going to make this soup, get the slow cooker out, combine the stock, dried yellow peas and the COLD water in the slow cooker and turn it on.

Add the vegetables, cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

It's ready when you can see the contents is mashable. Add about a tablespoon of butter, and use a potato masher, whisk or immersion blender to mash the soup. If it is too thick, thin with hot water, milk, coconut milk or warm chicken stock. (Coconut milk will quieten the curry flavour down if you've been a bit generous!)

My family like it thick, served as is, in a lovely big bowl, like this one, with a huge grind of freshly cracked pepper on top, and a grainy bread or roll.

Previous Post: Satay Pork Meat Balls | Slow Cooker Pork Recipes | Easy Slow Cooker Recipe

More great, tasty, easy slow cooker recipes and slow cooker reviews are on my website - enjoy!

Satay Pork Meat Balls | Slow Cooker Pork Recipes | Easy Slow Cooker Recipe

Mix and make the meat balls and the mix and pour over the sauce, cover and set to cook and when you get the crazy end of the day, the hard part of dinner is ready and waiting!

What a pleasure it is to own a slow cooker!  Especially one as smart at this one!  Its 5-quart capacity works great for medium-size families or when gathering with friends.

The easy to program control panel has two cooking modes - high, low, and keep the all important keep warm function. When the cook time ends, it automatically shifts to "warm" for up to two hours, so dinner stays hot and ready to serve without overcooking.  Oh yes, clean up is a snap too, the insert and glass lid are dishwasher safe.  Check out the rest of the DeLonghi 5 Quart's features here.

Satay Pork Meat Balls

Serves 4 to 6

Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 3-½ hours

1-1/2 lb (700g) pork mince

1 C soft breadcrumbs

3 Tbsp peanut butter

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Sauce

3 Tbsp peanut butter

1 Tbsp minced ginger

½ - ¾ tsp prepared chilli

1 Tbsp soy sauce

¾ C light coconut cream

• Mix the meat ball ingredients together and form into 32 balls and place into slow cooker.
• Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl and drizzle over the meat balls.
• Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 3-½ hours.
• Sprinkle with chives and serve on rice with naan and a salad or steamed asian green vegetables.

 Enjoy!

Previous Post: Crock Pot Corned Beef

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Crock Pot Corned Beef | Slow Cooker Beef | Corned Beef Recipe

I use my slow cooker almost everyday, so I was surprised to learn that many people only use their slow cookers to cook corned beef.  Having said that, the slow does take the stress out watching a pot on the stove - something that is just not possible for cooks these days, and it does a wonderful job of making the most tender and delicious meat!

If you have a slow cooker with multiple inserts, you don't have to worry about the size of the piece of meat you choose.  I find my round 3 quart slow cooker can take up to a 4 pound (2kg) piece of corned beef, so long as it is a cube, rather than a rectangle.

My mum has limited pantry space in her RV, so when she's on the road, to cook corned beef in her slow cooker, she just buys a bottle of gingerale at the same time as the meat and cooks it in that.  Yes, just two ingredients, the piece of corned beef and sufficient gingerale to cover or almost cover the meat.  No other spices required!

Crock Pot Corned Beef | Slow Cooker Beef

This is my favorite crock pot corned beef recipe.

3-1/2 lb (1.5kg) piece of corned beef
1 heaped tsp ground ginger
6 whole cloves
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
water to cover or almost cover the meat

Add the ingredients in the order listed and turn the slow cooker on to low for 6-7 hours or until the meat thermometer reads 77F of 170C.

Previous Post: Moroccan-Style Chickpea and Chicken Soup | Crock Pot Chicken Soup Recipe

More great, tasty, easy slow cooker recipes and slow cooker reviews are on my website - enjoy!

Moroccan-Style Chickpea and Chicken Soup | Crock Pot Chicken Soup Recipe

This soup makes a substantial and delicious meal for four to six adults. Hearty and warming enough to serve in the depths of winter, it is also light and fresh enough to enjoy as an easy summer meal.

To make a soup meal more fun, it is nice to have some special soup bowls to serve substantial soups like this one in.  This color is perfect for winter - click the picture to see the other colors this bowl is available in.

Moroccan-Style Chickpea and Chicken Soup

Serves 4 to 6

Cooks in 3½ to 4½ hours on low

1 Tbsp olive or canola oil

2 large boneless, skinless, fat trimmed chicken breasts (about 1lb or 500g)

1 medium to large onion, peeled, quartered and sliced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp tumeric

½ tsp chilli powder

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

2 x 400g canned diced tomatoes in juice

3 Cups chicken stock

2 x 300g cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 tsp paprika

zest and juice of a lemon

½ – 1 tsp salt

garnish with 3-4 Tsp chopped fresh coriander and sour cream when serving

• Heat the oil in a large frypan. Add the chicken breasts, whole, and cook over a high heat for 2 minutes on each side, brown lightly. While they are cooking, prepare the vegetables.
• Coat the inside of the crock pot insert with non-stick spray. Transfer the lightly browned chicken to the slow cooker.
• Add the vegetables to the frypan and scramble fry for 3-5 minutes to soften the onion. Stir in the cumin, coriander, tumeric, chilli powder and cinnamon, continue to cook for another minute.
• Add the vegetables and the remaining ingredients (except garnish). Stir to combine, cover and cook on low for 3½ to 4½ hours.
• Remove chicken from slow cooker and set aside until cool enough to handle. Using two forks, shred the meat and return it to the slow cooker. Stir in most of the fresh chopped coriander and cook for another 15-30 minutes.

Serve the soup in pre-warmed soup bowls, add a little dollop of sour cream, sprinkle with chopped coriander and with team up with a crusty loaf or warmed flat breads.

Previous Post: Sausage and Potato Slow Cooker Curry | Easy Slow Cooker Recipe

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Sausage and Potato Slow Cooker Curry | Easy Slow Cooker Recipe

Curried sausage with potatoes - simple and inexpensive but great hearty fare for when the temperature has dipped and hungry tummies are gathering in the kitchen.  It's days like those that you will be so glad you bought a large slow cooker - and filled it up that morning with this easy slow cooker recipe.

It amazes me how such humble, inexpensive ingredients can turn into such a wonderful, aroma rich dish, in a slow cooker. Recipes like this are easily stretched too, just by adding a can of drained chickpeas and other cooked vegetables when you add the peas and sultanas can gain you a couple of extra servings.  Put an extra couple of potatoes in the pot so there is lots of mashed potatoes to go around and you will have them coming back for more!

Sausage and Potato Slow Cooker Curry | Easy Slow Cooker Recipe

Serves 6

Cook on low 8 hours

4 potatoes (2lb / 800g) cut into thick but even sized wedges

12 (4lb or 1.8kg) beef sausages

2 medium brown onions

2 Tbsp mild curry powder

400g crushed tomatoes in puree/juice

1 C beef stock

1 cup frozen peas thawed

½ C saltanas

• Place the potatoes around the edges of the slow cooker, add the sausages. If you want to brown the sausages, first and then fry the onion and curry, add the rest of the ingredients (except peas and saltanas) to frypan to deglaze before adding to slow cooker, it will make the sausages look better when you serve them.
• Cover and cook on low 8 hours.
• Twenty minutes before serving, check seasonings and adjust if necessary.  If you want to thicken the gravy with a little of the cooking liquid (3 tablespoons) and 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed to a smooth paste, then do that now.
• Stir in peas and saltanas and cook on high for a further 20 minutes.
• Serve on rice, mashed potatoes or with crusty bread and stretch the servings further by adding lots of different vegetables to each plate.

Enjoy!

Previous Post:  Pork Roast In A Crock Pot | Spiced Apple Roast of Slow Cooker Pork

More great, tasty, easy slow cooker recipes and slow cooker reviews are on my website - enjoy!