Revolution GrayIs it one of those days when you just want something tasty and warm? Vegetable soup is always a winner, and your crockpot makes it simple and easy to make.
To make the best possible vegetable soup in your crockpot, you need to follow some basic guidelines. Start with a base of aromatics like onions or garlic for flavor. Then add hearty vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes. Finally, choose flavorful ingredients like cabbage or beans to round out the soup’s texture and taste; this will also thicken it. Finish up by adding in anything else you desire (some herbs or spices). Cook on low heat overnight or all day then adjust seasonings to taste when finished cooking before serving.
*Aromatics: Onions & Garlic
*Hearty Vegetables: Carrots, Potatoes, Tomatoes
*Flavorful Ingredients: Cabbage, Beans *Finishing Touch: Anything else you want (herbs/spices)
*Possible additions: Celery, bell peppers, different types of beans, corn, squash…
* Added bonus: For a more nutritious meal add in some protein like chicken or beef.
Basic Crockpot Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth [or water plus bouillon cubes if desired]
1 cup water [or for richer flavor use chicken broth instead of the 2 cups of vegetable broth]
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion chopped
2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed 4 carrots peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 tsp thyme Salt & pepper to taste
2 cans (15 oz.) white beans or another hearty bean of choice
1 bag (16 oz.) coleslaw
2 cups fresh spinach
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients, except for the spinach and coleslaw, into a large crockpot and stir until well combined.
2. Set on low heat before going to bed and wake up to a delicious hot vegetable soup you have for lunch or dinner.
3. When finished cooking adjust seasonings and serve with fresh baby spinach and coleslaw if desired.
This soup is easily customizable by adding in different types of vegetables or even swapping out different beans. For an added boost of protein try adding some shredded chicken breasts during the last of cooking time or some ground beef when you add in the water/seasonings. For a more hearty soup try adding some elbow macaroni about ten minutes before finishing cooking time or replacing the water with chicken broth.
Some other suggestions for a healthier meal:
Use whole wheat pasta and top with low fat sour cream or plain greek yogurt if desired along with reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese. Also consider adding some finely chopped broccoli for an extra heart-healthy boost!
Enjoy!