I am in love with my slow cooker. It makes cooking so simple even I can handle it. My husband is the chef in my family, but on nights that I cook, nine times out of ten it’s in the slow cooker. Most people know easy roast, barbecue and meatloaf recipes for the slow cooker, but the recipes below are even easier and more affordable. First of all they’re vegetarian, so the absence of meat makes them less expensive. And secondly they’re all soups, which are easy to save for leftovers or freeze for later. One pot of soup can last you for several meals.
Bean Soup
- 16 oz. dry bean soup mix
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic salt
- 1 tsp. parsley flakes
- 1 bay leaf
Rinse and drain beans, then soak overnight. Drain overnight water, put beans in the slow cooker and cover with one inch of water. Add all other ingredients, cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Corn Chowder
- 1 cup frozen hashbrowns
- 10 ozs. frozen corn
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 can cream corn
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Combine all ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Top with shredded cheddar cheese or chopped green onions if desired.
Vegetarian Chili
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can diced green chiles
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Combine all ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Top with shredded cheddar cheese or sour cream if desired.
Bon appetite!
Emily is a mother, wife, non-profit administrator and freelance writer – usually in that order. She blogs about her experiments combining attachment parenting, green living and real life at www.crunchyishmama.blogspot.com.