Slow Cooker Soup Recipes

Soup Recipes for the Slow Cooker and/or Dutch Oven

Note from FlyCrew: This is a wonderful assortment of soups (I can smell them cooking already!) Some are also great vegetarian meals. Enjoy! Thanks to our members for sending these in!

Bean and Bacon Soup
Bean and Sausage Delight
Best Barley Soup Ever
Black Bean Soup
Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Chicken Potato Mushroom Soup
Clean out your Refrigerator Soup
Corn Potato Chowder
Crock Bean Soup with Kale
Italian Lentil and Barley Soup
Italian Wedding Soup
Lentil barley Stew
Mexican Chicken Soup
Mexican Meatball Soup
Minestrone
Nine Can Vegetable Soup
Potato Chowder
Sausage Corn Chowder
Split Pea and Lima Bean Soup
Taco Soup #1
Taco Soup #2
Tortilla Enchilada Soup
White Bean Soup
Yummy Bean Soup

Clean out your refrigerator Soup

Since today (Sunday) is “Renew Your Spirit” day, I decided to kill two birds with one stone. Making soup is always a spirit-renewing experience for me. It is so nurturing; I love to smell soup cooking on the stove on a cold winter day. This morning I awoke to a very windy, cold day and decided to make soup. Well, there is no better reason to clean out your refrigerator than making soup! I started with onions and garlic (always have those on hand) and then checked to see what else was available. I found a half carton of organic chicken broth in the fridge, plus a can of chicken broth on the shelf in the basement. In the crisper, I found some not-so-crisp veggies that went into the pot: celery, mushrooms, parsnips, carrots, leeks, and asparagus. (There was daikon radish, too, but it was a little *too* non-crisp. It went into the garbage.) I found a ziploc bag with a couple of already de-boned chicken breasts in the freezer, which I defrosted slightly and chopped up. It all went into the pot, and I added some water, then checked my basement storage again….found some barley, split peas, red lentils, and brown rice. A small handful of each went into the pot, and I added some more water and some herbs from the spice rack. While it was cooking, I checked emails and read an entry in a writing contest I’m judging. All this time my dh was at the other end of the room watching TV, so we were spending the afternoon together, each in our own way. When the soup was done, he made garlic bread with a baguette I had found in the freezer when I discovered the chicken. ::voila!:: Dinner (enough to eat off for a week!) and a renewed spirit, all in one day.

And all this was *after* we had taken the dog to the dog park and walked a couple of miles while she ran and played with the other dogs.

All in all, a very good day, and I’m left with a sense of accomplishment, a shining sink, a clean kitchen, and a much cleaner fridge.” – FlyBaby S in windy Pennsylvania

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Potato Chowder

I love potato soup. Husband says it is my Irish coming out. Got this recipe from a friend for potato chowder. Have changed it a bit for my tastes.

One package of box scalloped potatoes – can be cheesy, or whatever you like best.
One cup of diced ham. I like a bit more.
Four cups chicken broth.
One or two stalks of diced celery.
One diced onion – whatever size you like.
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups half and half
1/3 cup flour

Mix potatoes, sauce mix, ham, broth, celery, onion, pepper in crock pot. Cover and cook on low heat 7 hours. Mix half and half with the flour, gradually stir flour mixture into chowder until blended. Cover and cook on low one more hour stirring occasionally until thick.

I think this is too thick, so use the big can of chicken broth, maybe 42 ounces – not sure on that. And instead of half and half, I use regular milk, 2 % at our house.

Love it! usually fix muffins, or garlic bread, or some kind of bread with it, whatever suits your fancy and time that day. – Flint, Michigan

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Mexican Meatball Soup

2 dozen frozen meatballs (already made!! no fuss)
1 large onion, chopped
1 family size can of Tomato soup (or 2 small cans)
1.5 family size cans of water (or 3 small cans)
1 can of diced tomatoes w/ peppers (or jar of salsa)
1 can corn
crushed garlic (optional)

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. The longer it cooks, the better the meatballs soak up the juices and flavors. Minimum of 4 hours cook time. Top with crumbled tortilla chips if you like. Without the chips, it’s a great low-fat healthy lunch… and tastes great reheated in the microwave (if you have leftovers!!) – Sun Valley California (LA area)

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Bean and Bacon Soup

Bean and Bacon soup is one of our winter favorites and being tasty, healthy and inexpensive we make it often. Even my 2 year old likes it.

1 pound small dry beans soaked overnight
2 diced carrots
2 stalks diced celery
1/2 diced onion
1 small can tomato sauce or 1 cup V-8
2 tablespoons bacon grease
2 small dried whole chili peppers (optional)
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste.

Saute the carrots, celery and onion in the bacon grease. Drain the bean of the soaking water and rinse well. Put sauteed vegetables, beans, chili peppers and bay leaf in crock pot. Fill to within 2 inches of top ( this is in my 6 quart) cover and set on High. Depending on the beans it will take 6 to 8 hours to cook soft. If you need it to cook longer just add more water at the beginning. At this point add tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Let cook for 1/2 more and it’s ready.

For those concerned about cholesterol, the amount of fiber in this recipe offsets the bacon grease more than enough, at least according to my nutritionist. You can either simply save the bacon grease when you cook bacon in a small container in the fridge as I do or you could cook up some bacon and use it to garnish the soup when served.

Vegetarians can of course use any cooking oil instead and a little toasted sesame oil gives some nutty flavor to mimic the effect of the bacon.

Hope you enjoy this as much as we do. – from Everett, WA

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Corn Potato Chowder

This is simple, but the kids love it!!!

2 cups water or chicken broth
5 potatoes – cubed
1 carrot – cut up
1 bag of frozen corn (you can use one bag of frozen mixed vegetables also)
1 package of hot dogs or polish sausage
1 bunch of kale, sliced small (or a frozen bag)
1 (32oz) container Creamy Corn Soup (mine is 365 brand made by Whole Foods)

Add water/chicken broth first, then,
Place all ingredients in the crock pot.(in order)
Cook on low for 8-10 hours. – Ashburn, VA

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Italian Wedding Soup

This recipe has been well received by everyone I have presented it to. It is very aromatic and someone is always coming into the office kitchen to see what smells so good when I bring it to work.

12-15 1/2 oz frozen meatballs (quartered)
6 cups Chicken Broth or 4 cans
1/4 cup chicken, chopped up. (one chicken breast)
1/2 cup carrot, Diced small
1/2 cup celery, Diced small
1 bunch spinach, (stems removed)
Garlic Salt, to taste
lemon pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Romano cheese
1/4 cup tiny pasta, add during last hour of cooking

Pop the meatballs in the microwave for a minute or two on defrost, so you can quarter them. Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook all day on low or 3 hours on high.

If the pasta is added during the last hour of cooking, you will see pasta. The first time I made it, I put it in at the beginning and it thickened the soup some.

This freezes well too.

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Nine Can Vegetable Soup

I have so many crock pot concoctions it’s hard to choose just one! I picked the two that require the least prep because this is a busy time of year!

2 cans Hormel chili, any variety (I use 99% fat free, with beans and turkey)
1 can vegetable soup
1 can green beans
1 can sliced new potatoes
1 can mixed vegetables
1 can corn
2 cans diced tomatoes (for extra kick, use a can of tomatoes with green chiles in place of one can of diced tomatoes).

*Optional: 1lb ground meat (turkey, beef, or my personal favorite – Boca ground sausage or beef substitute: it’s a soy based product)

Dump the entire contents of every can into the crockpot – liquid and all. *Brown turkey or beef and drain – no need to brown Boca products- and add to veggies in crockpot. Heat on low all day, or on high for less than 2 hours. I usually serve with grilled cheese sandwiches.

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Chicken-Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite size chunks OR 2 -10oz cans chicken breast
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
14-16 oz package frozen broccoli
1 can chicken broth
1 cup water

Put everything in the crockpot. Cook on low all day. This is great with fresh bread, either from your bread machine or from the refrigerated dough section of the grocery store, and a salad.

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Chicken Potato Mushroom Soup

1 pound of chicken breasts with skin (remove skin if you are on a low-fat diet)
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (I use lowfat version) + 2 cans milk (I use skim)
2-3 medium diced potatoes
salt and pepper

Dump it all in and cook it all day. When dishing it up, remove skin. You can have soup the first day and then add broccoli and cheese then next day for variety. – Home schooler from Katy, Texas

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Bean and Sausage Delight

This recipe is made from all canned ingredients, with the option of adding cooked crumbled sausage or kielbasa sliced. All the ingredients can be kept in the pantry for that stressful day. It can be made on top of the stove in a pinch, but the fragrance of the cooking is so nice at the end of your day.

2-3 cans black beans, drained
3 cans chicken stock
1 can Rotel type tomatoes
1 can corn
cooked sausage or sliced kielbasa

I serve with tortilla chips and sour cream. you can also serve over rice to extend it to more servings.

I like to mash some of the beans with my potato masher to make a thicker broth, or you can scoop some into the blender, and return it to the crockpot. – from Memphis

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Tortilla Enchilada Soup

Hello to all those Holiday Cruising Flybabies! This is a family favorite. It is low in fat, and tastes fantastic. Best of all it is EASY to prepare!

Two cans condensed chicken with rice soup
Two cans chicken broth (I use 4 cups of water with the bouillon cubes as it is cheaper)
3 ozs chicken (you can use a can of chicken, or just a small boneless skinless chicken breast. If you use the chicken breast be sure to shred it before serving.)
1 C Picante Sauce or Salsa
1 Can red enchilada sauce

Combine all ingredients and cook on low for about 4 hours.

I serve this with strips of fat free flour tortillas on top of each bowl of soup and also some shredded low fat cheese. I have also used Velveeta lite and it makes it taste more like a cheesey enchilada! YUMMY!! Enjoy! Flybaby from Marine Corps Air Station, New River, Jacksonville, NC

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Best Barley Soup Ever

Here’s a hand me down from my mother that makes the best barley soup ever!

3-4 smoked ham hocks
l bag baby carrots (can be cut in half for smaller pieces)
1 small onion, diced
2-3 potatoes diced or cubed.
I usually add 1 cup or more of barley – but then I like the barley and for us, the thicker, the better!

 

Put them all in the crock pot. Add enough water to almost fill the crock pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. The ham hocks usually provide enough salt, so I usually just add the pepper. Turn it on, and go for the day. – Eastlake, OH

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Italian Lentil and Barley Soup

Several of my friends from high school and I have a long-established tradition of getting together for a “reunion” during the Christmas season. As I’m the only one who still lives in the area where we grew up, I’ve become hostess to our annual gathering. I plan for a light, healthy lunch as a counterpoint to all the rich food that’s served during the holidays. This soup was a big hit when I made it for my friends. Add a simple loaf of Italian or French bread and some olive oil for dipping, and you’ve got a great meal!

The lentils do take a long time to get tender when cooked on the low setting. If you start the soup just before you go to bed in the evening, it’ll be ready by lunchtime the next day when cooked on low heat.

1 cup lentils
1/3 cup pearl barley
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
3 1/2 cups broth (chicken, vegetable, or leftover Thanksgiving turkey)
2 1/2 cups water
14 1/2 ounces Italian-style or regular stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar (optional)

Sort through lentils to remove debris and shriveled beans, then rinse.

Add lentils to crockpot along with carrot, celery, onion, garlic, dried herbs, and bay leaf. Pour in broth, water, and tomatoes.

Cover and cook on low heat for 12 to 14 hours, or on high heat for 5 to 6 hours. Discard bay leaf. Just before serving, stir in parsley and vinegar (if using). – Learning to fly in Michigan

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Sausage Corn Chowder

1-2 lbs sausage, hot or mild depending on your families tastes and if they are big meat eaters or not, browned, crumbled, drained
4 cups cubed frozen hash browns or 4 cups cubed potatoes
1 can corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 can evaporated milk (may use low fat)
2 cups water
1 T minced onion (dried is fine, use a bit less then)
pepper to taste

Dump in crock pot, stir well, cook all day on low or half a day on medium. Serve with grated cheese, oyster crackers, or spicy Cheez Its if you like it hot.

Serves 6 plus, depending on appetites. Even better the next day and seems to freeze well also. – in KS

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Lentil-Barley Stew

The following vegan recipes are ones I have adapted over the years from several cookbooks. Enjoy! – a Flybaby from Washington, DC

Simmer the following ingredients together for about an hour:

3/4 c. lentils, sorted and rinsed
3/4 c. pearled barley
6 c. water

Add the following ingredients and simmer another 45 minutes or so:

3 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
3 potatoes, diced
1 t. rosemary, crushed
4 c. canned tomatoes with juice (or 1 can tomato paste with 2-3 cups more water)

Or throw all ingredients into a Crockpot, and simmer all day. Add about 1 T. salt and lots of fresh ground pepper to taste just before serving. Great with cornbread. Enjoy!

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Black Bean Soup

Simmer the following ingredients for about 2-3 hours:

2 1/2 c. black beans (turtle beans), sorted and rinsed
8-10 c. water

Or throw the beans and water into the Crockpot and simmer all day.

Then, saute the following ingredients together, and add them to the beans:

2-4 T. olive or canola oil
1 t. ground cumin
1-2 c. sliced celery
1-2 t. dried oregano

1 1/2 c. cooked rice
3-4 T. vinegar
1 T. salt and fresh ground pepper to taste before serving

Garnish with sliced fresh celery and radishes and lime wedges. Some people also like to add a dollop of soy sour cream or yogurt. Great with cornbread or corn chips. Enjoy!

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Minestrone

Simmer the following ingredients together about 2-3 hours:

1 c. kidney beans, sorted, rinsed, and soaked*
8-10 c. water

Add the following ingredients and simmer another 45 minutes or so:

2 carrots, diced
1-2 t. dried basil
2 celery stalks, diced
1-2 t. dried oregano
2 potatoes, diced
1 t. dried thyme
1 4-oz. can tomato paste
1/2 t. dried rosemary
1/4 c. pearled barley

Or simmer all above ingredients in Crockpot all day. Right before serving, add the following ingredients:

1-2 c. cooked macaroni
1 T. salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

*To soak beans, (1) sort through them to make sure that no tiny pebbles or dirt clods remain among the beans (I also throw out any beans that look really tired or otherwise shot), (2) rinse under room temperature water (hot water causes them to split and turn ugly), (3) put into a big pot and cover with at least 2 inches of water, (4) bring to a boil, (5) boil for 5 minutes, (6) turn off burner and let sit to absorb water for 1 hour), and (7) drain and rinse. Enjoy!

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Split Pea and Lima Bean Soup

Simmer the following ingredients for about 1 hour:

1 c. split peas (yellow or green), sorted and rinsed
1-2 t. celery seed
1/2 c. large lima beans, sorted and rinsed
1-2 bay leaves
1/4 c. pearled barley
10 c. water

Add the following ingredients and simmer another 45 minutes or so:

2 carrots, diced
2-4 T. minced fresh parsley
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 t. paprika
2 potatoes, diced
1 t. dried basil

Or throw all ingredients into a Crockpot, and simmer all day. Add about 1 T. salt and lots of fresh ground pepper to taste just before serving. Enjoy!

Hints for all the soups: Don’t add salt to the water when cooking beans because salt will make the beans tough. Add it right before serving. Don’t add pepper while cooking or the soups will turn bitter. I don’t eat onions and garlic any more, so these recipes don’t include them, but add them if you like.

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Mexican Chicken Soup

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts left whole (about 2 pounds total)
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes with mild green chiles
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 15 oz cans of black beans not drained
1 cup salsa
1 15 oz can of tomatoes sauce

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.
Take out chicken and chop up and put back in the pot.
You can serve it with tortilla strips and cheddar cheese on top – but it is great by itself.
Makes about 10 1 cup servings.
For those of you counting points, I calculated this at about 4.5 points per serving. – Freehold, NJ

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Yummy Bean Soup

1 can great white Northern beans
1 can pintos
1 can black beans
1 can red beans
2 cans diced tomatoes 14 oz.
1 small can diced green chilies
dried onions to taste
1 can chicken bullion or 2 bullion cubes plus 2 cups water. I use homemade broth or vegetable bullion.

Mix in the crockpot and heat on low about 4 hours . Season with garlic salt, onion salt, seasoning salt or whatever you like before you serve it (with cornbread and salad). – in Dallas Georgia

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Taco Soup #1

Taco Soup is so easy and it’s a real crowd pleaser. I do it in my biggest pot, my crockpot isn’t quite big enough, but it will fit if you omit one can of tomatoes and one can of beans. Makes enough to feed an army and kids love it AND it’s good for you.

Brown:

a pound of ground beef
with a chopped onion

Put in crockpot or dutch oven. Add:

2 cans pinto beans (do not drain beans, add juice and all)
2 cans kidney beans
4 cans diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet ranch dressing mix

Stir and heat thoroughly, and it’s ready. Or it can be assembled in the morning and left in a crockpot on low all day. Serve with tortilla chips. Can also garnish with grated cheese, black olives, avocado slices. Also good with a pot of white rice. I made it for my daughter’s Halloween party and we called it Witch’s Stew with Fried Bat Wings. 🙂 ENJOY, From Flysister Julie Peace Love and Crockpots

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Taco Soup #2

1 lb. ground beef – cooked and drained

1 can each – drained and rinsed:
green beans
whole kernel corn
pinto beans

1 can each:
Ranch style beans
stewed tomatoes
Rotel tomatoes (diced)

1 envelope each:
Ranch dressing
Taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for 2 hour. Serve topped with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Optional: Serve over Fritos or Tostitos for a yummy crunch!!!

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White Bean Soup

Cut up a large onion and put in crockpot with a pat of butter on high until onion is tender. Then add dried white beans and lots of water. Several hours later when the beans have become very tender, add 4 or 5 chicken boullion cubes, a chunk of leftover ham, salt. pepper and oregano. If you need to add more liquid, heat it first. Let cook another hour or 2. This is so delicious with cornbread or with sandwiches. – Flybaby in East TN

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Crock bean soup with Kale

Serves 6

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions — chopped
1 carrot — chopped
3 cloves garlic — pressed
1 bunch kale — trimmed and sliced
1 pound dried cannellini beans – soaked overnight(or use white beans)
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 quart chicken broth or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions, carrot and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent. Add kale and cook till wilted, about 3 minutes.

In a crock-pot, place your soaked beans, add red pepper flakes, the contents of the skillet and cover with broth (if you need more liquid, add either more broth or water till contents are covered by 1/8″).

Cook on high 8 hours or until beans are tender. Once beans are tender, add the tomato sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

Per Serving: 349 Calories; 8g Fat; 19g Protein; 54g Carbohydrate; 13g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 85mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Some whole grain rolls and a big salad.

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