soup is pretty magical. and so are crock pots. and when you have to orchestrate 6 well-rounded dinners a week around work, social, and nightlife schedules, the idea of cooking can be extremely daunting. thankfully, i love soups, crockpots, and can have the foresight to soak a few beans the night before so that when i come home covered in hair, starving, and frazzled, i can look over and say “aw shucks would you look at that-dinners ready!”
Cannelini and Quinoa Soup
makes 6 huge bowls
1 lb dried Cannelini beans, soaked overnight
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes
8 cups vegetable stock
3 stems fresh thyme
combine the onion and garlic in a pan with a few tablespoons olive oil, and saute over medium heat until soft and beginning to brown. combine in your slow cooker with all the other ingredients and set on high for 6 hours, or low for 8. check at 6 hours to see if the beans are soft, or to see if you need more water. season with salt and pepper only after the beans have finished cooking.
cannelini and quinoa soup
Creamy Golden Wild Rice Stew
3/4 golden or regular wild rice
4 cups almond milk
1 lb cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 dice
2 cups vegetable stock
1 large white onion, diced
2 shallots minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp each of thyme and rosemary
1 bay leaf
combine the onion, shallot, and garlic with olive oil in a pan and saute until soft and beginning to brown, add mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid. combine all ingredients in your slow cooker and set for 6 or 8 hours. when the potatoes are soft, remove the bay leaf, and puree up to half the soup in a blender, and add back to the pot. season with salt and pepper, and if you’re super fancy, a drizzle of truffle oil on the top of each serving
creamy golden wild rice soup
