A slow cooker is very useful in the kitchen to prepare dishes. Because dishes are cooked longer at a lower temperature, all flavors come out better. It’s an easy way to prepare the tastiest curries, stews, and other stews. It is also an easy way for soups. Recipes can often be adapted for slow cooker cooking by omitting some of the moisture.
What is a slow cooker?
A slow cooker is a handy kitchen tool that has come over from America. It is mainly used for one-pot dishes such as stews, and curries, but also for delicious soups. Because the dishes are cooked at a lower temperature for a longer time, the flavors come out better.
The cooker consists of a metal casing that serves for heat regulation. A ceramic or porcelain pot is placed in this in which the dish is cooked. This is closed with a lid without holes so that no water vapor escapes. Slow cookers range in size from about 0.5 liters to 7 liters depending on how many people you want to cook for.
Customize recipes
When you want to adjust a soup recipe, you can always add the same amounts of vegetables and meat. You have to make sure that you add less moisture. In a slow cooker, the moisture does evaporate, but it remains in the pan. There is a handy rule of thumb for estimating how much fluid to add:
To ensure that all ingredients are cooked at the same speed, it is important to cut everything into the same size. Vegetables can be added raw along with the stock. Some meats need to be cooked before adding. In general, all ingredients can be added at the beginning. When the soup is cooked on the low setting, all the flavors blend nicely and you get a delicious soup.
It is of course very easy to throw all the ingredients in the pan and let the slow cooker do its job. If you want to make your soup just a little bit tastier, you can brown them in the pan before adding the vegetables and also sear the meat. This gives the soup a better and fuller taste.
Usually, dishes should cook on low for 6-8 hours in a slow cooker. It is almost impossible to overcook food in a slow cooker as long as there is enough liquid in it and the lid is closed. The lower the temperature, the longer it can cook, but try not to cook food on the low setting for more than 10 hours. With some dishes, the food can become a bit mushy. Think especially of overcooked vegetables and fish. The rule for soups is that they usually have to cook for about 3-4 hours on the high setting and 6-8 hours on the low setting.
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Slow cooker chicken soup
This recipe is for a 3.5-liter slow cooker. The amounts can be adjusted proportionally for a different size slow cooker. The recipe is a basic recipe, you can supplement it with additional ingredients to taste. If you are vegetarian, the chicken can be removed from the dish and replaced with extra vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken legs (600 grams)
- Soepgroente (300 grams)
- 1.75 liters of boiling water
- Bouillon cubes (check the package for the right amount)
- Possibly a handful of vermicelli
Chicken soup preparation
- Turn on the slow cooker and add the boiling water and stock cubes.
- Add the chicken legs and the vegetables, and make sure that the chicken legs are well submerged in the water.
- Let the soup cook for 3-4 hours on high, but preferably for 6-8 hours on low.
- Then add the vermicelli and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
Tomato soup from the slow cooker
Tomato soup from the slow cooker with fresh tomatoes is incredibly easy and very tasty. This recipe can also be adapted to your own taste. For example, basil can be added and the onion and garlic can be sautéed beforehand in some butter in a frying pan. But the basic recipe for the 3.5-liter slow cooker is as follows:
Ingredients:
- 1.5 kilos of tomatoes
- A cup of water
- 1 cube of vegetable stock
- 2 onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Optional: pepper, salt, and 1 dl cream
Preparation tomato soup
- Cut the tomatoes into quarters, chop the onions and crush the garlic cloves.
- Place these ingredients in the slow cooker along with the water and stock cube.
- Let the soup cook for 3-4 hours on high, but preferably for 6-8 hours on low.
- Puree the soup with a stick blender (this can be done in the slow cooker).
- Add some salt and pepper for taste or add 1 dl of cream for a creamy tomato soup
