Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever by Diane Phillips Read Free Book Online

soups, and it becomes creamy in a slow cooker. This soup is thick with chicken, chewy barley, and meaty cremini mushrooms; the added infusion of sherry and dried porcini mushrooms give it personality. It is also a great way to use the leftovers from that rotisserie chicken you bought earlier in the week. If you don’t have leftover cooked chicken, it’s easy enough to sauté chicken before adding it to the pot.
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    2 leeks, chopped, using the white and some of the tender green parts
    3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
    3 medium carrots, chopped
    1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
    1 teaspoon dried thyme
    1 bay leaf
    1 cup pearl barley
    6 cups chicken broth
    ¼ cup dried porcini mushrooms
    ¼ cup dry sherry
    2 cups bite-size pieces cooked chicken
    heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, celery, carrots, cremini mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and stir in the barley, broth, dried mushrooms, sherry, and chicken.
    cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the barley is tender.
    remove the bay leaf before serving.
    serves 8

Chicken Tortilla Soup
    A bit of Southwestern spice flavors this warm and hearty soup. Make sure to serve some condiments on the side for everyone to make their own special bowl.
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
    1 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
    1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
    2 medium sweet onions, such as Vidalia, thinly sliced
    4 cloves garlic, chopped
    2 tablespoons chili powder
    2 teaspoons ground cumin
    ¼ cup gold tequila (optional)
    One 14- to 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained
    4 cups chicken broth
    3 cups shredded cooked chicken
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    Fried corn tortilla strips
    Grated Colby or Monterey Jack cheese for garnishing
    1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, leaves chopped for garnishing
    Avocado Garnish (recipe follows)
    heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and onions and sauté for about 2 minutes, until softened.
    add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the tequila (if using) to the pan and cook until it is almost evaporated.
    transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, broth, and chicken.
    cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours. Season with salt and pepper.
    place the tortilla strips in bowls, ladle in the soup, and top with the cheese, cilantro, and the avocado garnish.
    serves 8
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AVOCADO GARNISH
    1 ripe Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped
    ½ cup fresh corn kernels or defrosted frozen corn
    ¼ cup chopped green onions
    2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
    combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours or serve immediately.
    makes 1 cup

Take-Me-to-the-Kasbah Chicken Vegetable Soup with Couscous
    I have always been fascinated by the foods of Morocco. Using a diverse palate of flavors, the food is spicy with a hint of sweetness that comes from using dried fruits and spices like cinnamon and clove. This soup is reminiscent of one that I enjoyed with my daughter on a rainy night in Paris at a delightful restaurant called Table de Fes.
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1 medium onion, finely chopped
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    1 teaspoon sweet paprika
    ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    Pinch of cayenne pepper
    2 medium zucchini, diced
    2 medium yellow squash, diced
    One 14- to 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juice
    6 cups chicken broth
    3 cups shredded cooked chicken
    ½ cup golden raisins
    3 cups cooked couscous
    heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
    add the onion, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne