This is the ultimate feel good soup. Quick bit of prep in the morning, using up the odds and ends of veg in the fridge. Then when you get home you have a delicious warming soup to keep the winter chill at bay.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra*
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 1/2 litres (6 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 400 g (14 oz) tin of chopped tomatoes
- 125 g (1 cup) soup mix
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 large handfuls chopped spinach or silverbeet
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Salt & pepper
Method
- Turn the slow cooker to low to allow it to warm whilst gathering your ingredients.
- Sauté the onion in olive oil in a small fry pan until lightly browned.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute.
- Place the browned onion and garlic into the slow cooker.
- Add the stock, carrot, celery, chopped tomatoes, soup mix, and oregano to the slow cooker.
- Season well with salt & pepper. Stir thoroughly.
- Cook for 8 hours on low.
- Stir the chopped spinach or chard, and the parsley, through the soup.
- Allow to stand for five minutes before serving.
*The olive oil is only used if you are frying your onions and garlic. Omit it from the recipe if adding the onions directly to the slow cooker.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS FOR THIS RECIPE
This slow cooker vegetable soup recipe is what we refer to as a fridge cleaner. Don’t feel at all constrained by the recipe. Simply throw in the vegetables you have on hand.
Also:
If you can’t find soup mix in your local supermarket, you can easily make your own. Mix together 1/3 cup split peas, 1/3 cup green lentils and 1/3 cup barley and use this in place of the soup mix in the recipe.
Barley is not gluten free. If you need a gluten free mix, and cannot find one locally, then simply use the ratios above but replace the barley with quinoa.
Chicken stock can be used in place of the vegetable stock. Just be aware that the soup will no longer be vegan if using meat stock.
Any hearty root vegetables would work well in this soup. Try sweet potato or pumpkin, parsnip or celeriac.
Kale would be a good replacement for the chard or spinach.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR A DELICIOUS SLOW COOKER SOUP
This recipe will make a lot of soup, so it is ideal for feeding a crowd or for stocking the freezer. Here are a few extra tips to help you make the most delicious soup for dinner:
A ratio of 1 cup of soup mix to six cups of stock will produce a thick, hearty soup. Add a little less soup mix if you want a thinner soup.
If you are short on time, don’t bother browning the onions and garlic. This is an additional step I like to take to maximise flavour in the slow cooker but it is not necessary.
And if you are really short on time, cut up all the vegetables the night before. In the morning just toss all the ingredients into the slow cooker. Dinner will be done in less than five minutes.
The soup will thicken on standing or freezing. Add a little extra water or stock when reheating to return it to a soup consistency.
Freeze any leftovers in meal sized portions for ready made lunches and dinners.