Thursday, October 7, 2010

Something Warm and Toasty—Easy Veggie Soup…in the Slow Cooker

RileyAdamsFoodBlogPostpic_thumb_thumb[3]

It doesn’t take a whole lot for me to get in the mood for soup.

And when we suddenly experienced a 20 degree temperature difference in just a couple of days time (from the mid-90s to the mid-70s), I decided it was time to bring out soup ingredients!

Lest you think I’m a cold-weather wimp, it is going down into the 40s at night. We think that’s pretty chilly for October here.

But I’m still experiencing the fall-time-crunch. So I brought out my handy-dandyrival_crockpot Crockpot so I could cook my soup slowly and really get the flavors mixing—and have the soup ready at the end of the day when it was time to feed hungry kids.

This recipe is a no-brainer. In fact…there really isn’t a recipe at all for me. I just put things in the pot until I’ve got the consistency where I want it. And the ingredients change, too—they’re just whatever I have on hand at the time.

The one special ingredient that this recipe has that I think helps out a lot with the taste is vegetable juice as the base. I use a low-sodium V-8 juice because, if you use canned vegetables at all then you’ll definitely get enough sodium. And the V-8 juice gives a nice spicy taste to the soup without the need to add spices.

This recipe makes a lot. I usually freeze about half of it. So you’ll want to adjust it down if you’d rather not freeze any.

IMG_20101005_171343 Easy Veggie Soup

1 bottle vegetable juice (I used the 46-oz. size. It makes a lot.)
1 cup lima beans
1 small onion
3/4 can of beef broth
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cubed, peeled potatoes
1 1/2 cups corn
2 peeled and sliced carrots
1 package frozen soup vegetables/mixed veggies
1/4 cup red wine

Put all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

And enjoy the warmth! :)

Riley/Elizabeth
Delicious and Suspicious (July 6 2010) Riley Adams
Finger Licking Dead (June 2011)… Riley Adams
Pretty is as Pretty Dies –Elizabeth Spann Craig

15 comments:

  1. Crock pot soup... what could be easier. And I love the way my kitchen smells when i make soup

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  2. I never tried vegetable soup with vegetable juice in it. Sounds yummy. A bowl of hot vegetable soup hits the spot on a cool fall day.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  3. Dave--Me too! It makes the whole downstairs smell great! I liked your soup recipe yesterday, btw.

    Mason--It's really good! And freezes well, too.

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  4. Elizabeth - you are a girl after my own heart! It has turned CHILLY in these mountains! so, yep - time for soup. This is the time of year I fall in love with my crockpot all over again. I agree with you guys about how wonderful it makes the house smell. When we come home from work and that fragrance meets us at the door it's a like a big hug.

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  5. I made soup last night, too! Of course, being a last-minute Lizzy, I threw mine together in desperation after getting home at nearly 6:00. Mine was chicken broth, a CAN (horrors!) of chicken, a can of diced tomatoes, a package of broccoli, a Parmesan cheese rind, a handful of grated cheddar, garlic, and some black pepper.

    When I asked my husband "how's the soup?" He said, "very good—but it's hot." You all know my answer to that—"You can't cook it COLD!"

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  6. I'm like you, Elizabeth--when the temperature drops, I pull out the crockpot and make soup. Although I think you have a misprint in your recipe. Don't you mean "4" cups of red wine? :)

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  7. (Alan, I like your little recipe change. Kidding!) Elizabeth - I love your idea of using veggie juice and beef broth. Great combo and I will def. try this. A wonderfully healthy and hearty recipe for these increasingly chilly days (and nights). Brrrr.... :)

    Slurp with joy!
    ~ Cleo
    Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  8. Now that we're up where it's cold more than it's hot, I bought a new slow cooker and this seems perfect. I was going to make my white chili recipe when the kids come up on Sunday, but maybe I'll do this instead.

    Terry
    Terry's Place
    Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

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  9. Mmmm...that sounds wonderful. I'll have to try it soon.

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  10. I love crock pot recipes. It smell so good. I like the ingredients you added the v8 and the wine. Thank you.

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  11. Kaye--The mountains look COLD! And I'm a little worried about that because we're supposed to go hiking in the mountains later this month! Maybe I'll have to take some veggie soup with me!

    Molly--I've been known to put canned chicken in! :) Honestly, with soup, can you really tell? I can't!

    Oh, my kids were fussing that it was hot, too! But we weren't serving Gazpacho, after all!

    Alan --Now THAT would be some special soup! And really good for a rattling winter cough, right? ;)

    Cleo--Now you've *actually* got some cold weather! I'm a little wimpy thinking the South is getting cold. But I'd be firing up that CrockPot a lot if I were you!

    Terry--The nice thing is that you can throw *anything* in there. I've put all kinds of stuff in. :)

    Marlyn--Hope you'll enjoy it!

    Merlotea--The V8 juice really helps make it...and wine doesn't hurt, either. ;)

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  12. Love soup. Love crick pot meals. Thanks for an easy dinner!
    ~Avery

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  13. This soup will be perfect for cold weather and that new crock pot I just bought! Thanks foar the great idea to use low sodium V-8 juice and red wine as part of the soup base.

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  14. Molly, you're cracking me up.

    Terry, I'm so intrigued by your white chili!

    Elizabeth, we're in the 40s at night but I hear that not too far away they had snow in the mountains. Aaack! That's too early for me.

    Alan, there's a recipe for a red wine grog in The Diva Cooks A Goose. It's not soup, but it *is* warm! LOL!

    ~ Krista

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  15. Avery--Hope you'll enjoy!

    Book Bird Dog--Hope you'll enjoy the new Crockpot! I use mine a ton. Even in the summer I'll use it...so that I don't have to heat up the house by turning on the oven!

    Krista--Snow in the mountains already? That seems awfully early.

    The red wine grog sounds like a winner, Krista! Can't wait to read it. :)

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