Delicious and Easy Soups and Slow Cooker Recipes

Chilled Soups & Slow Cooker Snacks

Fresh Avocado Soup

3 ripe avocados

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 (10 ounce) can chicken broth

1 (8 ounce) carton plain yogurt

Chopped chives

•  Peel avocados, remove seeds and cut into pieces. Immediately put avocados, lemon juice, broth and yogurt into blender and process until smooth.

•  Add a little salt and pepper and refrigerate for several hours. Serve in soup bowls with chopped chives on top. Serves 4 to 6.

Artichoke Cream Soup

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons finely minced green onions

1½ tablespoons flour

2 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth

1 (16 ounce) can artichoke bottoms, drained

1 cup half-and-half cream

•  Melt butter in large saucepan and sauté green onions. Stir in flour and cook for 3 minutes. Slowly add broth, stir constantly and cook on medium heat until mixture thickens.

•  Puree artichokes in blender and stir into broth mixture with a little salt and pepper. Add half-and-half cream and heat just until soup is thoroughly hot.

•  This soup may be served hot or cold. If serving cold, do not heat after adding cream. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Serves 6.

Sweet Carrot Soup

1 (16 ounce) package shredded carrots

1 cup orange juice

1 cup apricot nectar

¼ cup lemon juice

⅓ cup honey

⅓ cup sour cream

•  Combine carrots, orange juice, apricot nectar and ½ cup water in large saucepan. Cook on high until almost boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

•  Add lemon juice, honey and sour cream and stir well. Serve soup at room temperature or chilled. Serves 6.

Chilled Summertime Soup

3 cups chilled, cubed fresh cantaloupe, divided

3 cups chilled, cubed fresh honeydew melon

2 cups chilled, fresh orange juice

2 cups chilled white wine or champagne

¼ cup chilled, fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons honey

•  Puree 2 cups cantaloupe in food processor or blender and pour into large bowl. Puree honeydew melon and combine with pureed cantaloupe, orange juice, white wine and lime juice.

•  Pour in honey and mix well. Chop remaining cantaloupe and add to bowl. Serve immediately. Serves 8.

TIP: Fresh mint as garnish is always a nice touch.

Cold Strawberry Soup

2¼ cups strawberries

⅓ cup sugar

½ cup sour cream

½ cup whipping cream

½ cup light red wine

•  Puree strawberries and sugar in blender. Add sour cream and whipping cream and blend well.

•  Pour into pitcher. Add red wine and 1¼ cups water. Stir and refrigerate before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

Rio Grande Gazpacho

This spicy, nutritious vegetable soup made from a puree of raw vegetables is served cold and is great in the summer.

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, quartered

½ onion, quartered

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3½ cups tomato juice, divided

1 pound tomatoes, peeled, quartered, cored

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons hot sauce

•  Combine cucumber, onion, garlic, and 2 cups tomato juice in blender.

•  Process until vegetables are coarsely chopped. Add tomatoes and process again until vegetables are finely chopped.

•  Pour into medium container with tight lid. Stir in wine vinegar, olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, cumin, and hot sauce.

•  Stir in remaining tomato juice, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Serve cold. Serves 6.

Creamy Cucumber Soup

2 seedless cucumbers, peeled, coarsely chopped

2 green onions, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 (1 pint) carton half-and-half cream

1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

•  Process cucumbers, onions and lemon juice in blender until mixture is smooth. Transfer pureed mixture to bowl with lid.

•  Gently stir in half-and-half cream, sour cream, dill weed, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.

•  Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving. Stir mixture well before serving in soup bowls. Serves 6.

Super Bowl Party Sandwiches

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons Caribbean jerk seasoning

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped bell peppers and onions, thawed

⅔ cup chicken broth

¼ cup ketchup

⅓ cup packed brown sugar

8 hoagie buns, split

•  Rub chicken thighs with jerk seasoning and a little pepper. Place in sprayed slow cooker and add bell peppers and onions.

•  Combine broth, ketchup and brown sugar in bowl and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

•  Remove chicken from cooker with slotted spoon and shred chicken using 2 forks.

•  Return chicken to slow cooker and mix well. Fill buns with chicken mixture. Yields 8sandwiches.

Nutty Crispy Snacks

3 cups Corn Chex® cereal

3 cups Quaker® oat squares

4 cups Crispix® cereal

2 cups pretzel sticks

1 cup salted peanuts

1 (16 ounce) can cashews

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon celery salt

¾ cup (1½sticks) butter, melted

•  Place cereals, pretzel sticks, peanuts and cashews in sprayed slow cooker and sprinkle with seasoned salt, garlic salt and celery salt. Drizzle mixture with melted butter and gently toss.

•  Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Uncover last 45 minutes. Yields 2 quarts.

TIP: You may mix and match other cereals in the same amounts.

Sweet and Sour Meatball Bites

1 (10 ounce) jar sweet and sour sauce

⅓ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 (28 ounce) package frozen cooked meatballs, thawed

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained

•  Combine all ingredients in sprayed slow cooker and mix well. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours; stir occasionally. Serves 6.

TIP: This can be served as an appetizer or served over seasoned spaghetti.

Lazy Daisy Broccoli Dip

¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter

2 cups thinly sliced celery

1 onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons flour

1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10 ounce) box chopped broccoli, thawed

1 (5 ounce) garlic cheese roll, cut in chunks

Wheat crackers or corn chips

•  Melt butter in skillet and sauté celery and onion, but do not brown; stir in flour. Pour into sprayed small slow cooker, stir in remaining ingredients and mix well.

•  Cover and cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours and stir several times. Serve with wheat crackers or corn chips. Serves 6 to