Slow cooker makes soup party a breeze
Come October, I officially become soup-obsessed. Soup is the ultimate comfort food, and with a chunk of crusty bread, it’s also the ultimate one-pot meal.
Because they’re so easy to prepare and often can be made well in advance, soups are also great for gatherings. Using your slow cooker on the warm setting and placing a Dutch oven over low heat also makes it easy for guests to serve themselves while never having to worry about their entrée getting cold.
For this event, I served three diverse soups — one chicken, one vegetarian and one cream-based — to accommodate all appetites and food preferences.
A popular crowd pleaser is chicken tortilla. This Mexican-esque soup features several shortcuts, including the slow cooker, canned enchilada sauce and canned diced green chilies. You can also serve a toppings bar with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips and cilantro so guests can tailor their serving to their preference.
Next up is a roasted eggplant and white bean soup, which is both hearty and vegetarian. The first step is roasting the eggplant in the oven, which caramelizes the bottom of the flesh and brings great depth of flavor. It pairs well with smooth and buttery cannellini beans. After pureeing, serve with a swirl of truffle oil, which in my opinion makes everything taste better.
The last soup of the day was a crowd favorite: creamy mushroom and brie soup. It packs a flavor punch with wine, garlic and thyme. Mushrooms are one of my favorite ingredients to use, and this soup is full of them. I used sliced baby Bellas, but you could use any medley you’d like.
A bit of heavy cream and brie cheese adds a velvety consistency that you could never get out of a can. Just remember to remove the rind of the brie cheese. It may be tedious, but it’s essential to achieve the right texture.
To round out the meal, have salad and crusty bread and butter ready. Bonus points for lighting a fire (because that makes every gathering feel cozy).