Quick and Easy Slow Cooker Meatball Soup

Ingredients:
Half a large bag of frozen Lidl or IKEA Swedish meatballs (about 30 meatballs)
Riso or Orzo pasta (I use De Cecco Riso or Tesco Orzo, but you could also use rice if you prefer.)
a 400g Jar or carton of good Italian passata (I use Mutti)
a half-sized tin (227g) of chopped Italian tomatoes
1 tin of Italian Borlotti beans with their juice (pinto beans can be used to substitute)
1 pint of water
1 Knorr rich beef gel stockpot (made into 1 full pint of stock)
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 large clove or 2 small cloves of garlic (pressed)
pink salt to taste
A large slow cooker (crockpot)
Cooking time:  3 hours


I came up with this recipe because I was sick with a sinus infection and had been laid up and unable to cook for a couple of days.  I didn't fancy any quick processed-type foods, but wanted something wholesome without having to stand in the kitchen for a long period.  This took me 8 minutes to throw together off the cuff, using things I almost always have in my press.  It turned out even nicer than anticipated and my son and husband were absolutely mad about it.  We served this with toasted bagels and tend to eat smaller portions than many people we know, but we found that this amount will feed the 3 of us for 2 nights, so you could certainly feed a family of 4 or 5 with it.  Just throw everything in, walk away and relax until it's cooked.  It's great for a wet and blustery evening or a day when you're not feeling well but want something good to eat.  It's so thick and filling - almost like having a bowl of chilli, but with lovely Italian flavours.


Method:
Put a small amount of grapeseed or olive oil into a pan and toss the meatballs in it on a medium heat for about 4 minutes, before turning over and cooking for a further 4 minutes.  This is simply to seal them off for better flavour and to prevent them turning mushy in the soup.  During the 8 minutes these are cooking, you will be able to prepare the entire rest of the dish.  Use the Knorr beef stockpot to make a full pint of stock.  Pour the stock into the slow cooker, along with an additional full pint of water, the passata, the tomatoes, the borlotti beans, the basil and oregano, the pressed garlic and a dash or two of pink salt.  Add the meatballs to the mixture, stir, set the slow cooker to high and leave for 2 hours.  After the 2 hours have passed, throw in about 165g to 170g of riso or orzo pasta and leave to cook for one more hour.  Serve with some grated cheddar on top and some bread or crackers on the side.  Enjoy!

Spiced Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. mild chilli powder
32 fluid oz. vegetable stock (I used Knorr concentrated gel stock pots.)
1 cup red lentils 
1 large carrot or 2 medium carrots, diced
2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 Tbsp. dried coriander leaf (cilantro)
1 tsp. dried oregano
More salt to taste
Lemon slices or olive oil to garnish

A friend of mine was moving away & gave me the contents of her kitchen press, which included a full bag of red lentils.  I'd always wanted to make my own lentil soup & this was the perfect opportunity.  I looked up several recipes online in order to get an idea about method & amounts & then I added elements of several recipes together, along with my own ideas, to develop this warmly spiced soup.  It's so satisfying, warming & enjoyable with a bit of a Mexican flair.  It  leaves you always wanting to go back for another taste or two, even if you're full.  This amount usually serves 3 of us for 2 nights in a row.

Method:
Heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Stir in the chopped onion & minced fresh garlic & cook until the onion has turned golden (around 5 minutes).  Stir in the cumin, sea salt, black pepper & chilli powder.  Cook & stir for another 2 minutes or so until the spices are fragrant.  Next, stir in the vegetable stock (you can also use chicken stock if you prefer), lentils & carrot.  Bring to a boil on high, then reduce to medium-low, cover & simmer until lentils are soft (around 30 minutes).  Using a good quality hand blender, blend on a medium setting until the soup is thick, smooth & silky, but not completely chunk-free.  You want it to be almost smooth, but with a few tiny chunks of carrot, etc.  If you don't have a hand blender, you can transfer it to a food processor or blender, being careful not to overfill with the hot liquid or allow the lid to come off while blending. Once blended, add in the lemon juice, oregano & coriander & stir well.  Salt further to taste if necessary.
That's it - it's now ready to serve!  You can garnish each bowlful with a slice of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil or a sprig or two of fresh coriander.  Serve with chunky rustic bread.

So delicious!

Ginger's Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
a 500g (just over 17.5 ounces) bag of dry black turtle beans
1 & 1/2 400g (just over 14 oz.) cans of chopped tomatoes
1 small (198g or 7 oz.) can of Green Giant sweetcorn with peppers (Mexicorn)
Just over 1 pint (22 oz.) of beef stock
1/2 a large onion (diced)
3 medium carrots (diced)
2 stalks of celery (diced)
2 cloves of garlic (diced)
2 tsp. dry Cumin
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Nando's Medium Peri Peri sauce (or Tabasco)
1 tsp. dry Oregano
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Hickory Liquid Smoke (optional)
A hand blender
A 4.5 litre or more slow cooker (crockpot)

I had a whole unopened bag of dry black turtle beans that needed to be used up, so I just made up this black bean soup recipe on the fly.  I adore black bean soup, but have never made my own.  We just had it for dinner and were surprised at how amazingly well it turned out.  It's a new family favourite!  This recipe makes a huge amount (my 4.5 litre slow cooker was full to the brim), so it's great for a big gathering or for freezing some for a later date. 
*Liquid smoke generally cannot be gotten in Ireland and I only occasionally get some brought over by friends from the States. If you don't have this ingredient, don't worry too much - it only adds a little extra smokiness, but the soup is still fab without it.

Method:
Firstly, you'll need to rinse your dry black beans, then soak overnight (or for at least 8 hours).  Place them in a very large bowl and cover with water until there is at least 2 or 3 inches of water above the level of the beans, as they swell quite a bit.  Put a lid or plate over them.  The next morning, drain and rinse them again and then place in a large stock pot or divide between 2 slightly smaller pots.  Put in fresh water, once again making sure there is at least 2 inches of water above the beans.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to a low simmer and leave to simmer with a lid half on for 60 to 75 minutes until tender.  Drain the beans most of the way, leaving only a few tablespoons of the liquid in them.  Pour all but 1/4 of the beans into your slow cooker (the other 1/4 will be used later).  Put the diced celery, onion, garlic and carrots into the slow cooker along with the Cumin, Oregano, Salt, Peri Peri or Tabasco, Worcestershire and Liquid Smoke.  Then, make up 22 ounces of good quality beef stock (I use a Knorr concentrated gel stockpot) and add that in, along with 1 whole can of chopped tomatoes.  Stir the mixture, place the lid on the slow cooker and place it on the low setting.  Leave this to cook for 4 or 5 hours.  After the few hours is up, blend the mixture in the slow cooker with a hand blender on a medium to high setting.  If you don't have a hand blender, you could remove the mixture by the ladle-full and blend in a food processor.  Once the mixture is blended to a fairly smooth consistency, add in the remaining 1/4 of the whole cooked beans, the small can of mexicorn and another half a can of chopped tomatoes.  If you like it to have a stronger tomato taste and more chunks, you can add in the whole can.  Stir again and allow this to cook on low for another half-hour to 1 hour and then serve with a garnish of grated cheese, sour cream and a few tortillas chips on top.  You can also have chunky bread on the side.  Now that I've made this and know how easy it is, it will definitely be a regular meal around here.  Enjoy! 

Everything in the slow cooker 

After 5 hours of cooking, some hand-blending and added ingredients...

Hearty and delicious!