Three soup recipes in a row. IT WAS THE RAIN! ;-)
Not that this potato soup is off the normal soup recipes. Just a bit of my own tweeking, that I like to do. I have to say that I haven't followed a recipe to the tee in sooo long. I'm a bit chef-prideful.....thinking, no I will not follow your recipe to the tee, but thanks for some of your ingredient ideas. I will take a couple from a different recipes, then add my preferred twist.

• 2-3 large or 5-6 small red potatoes
• 1 celery
• 1 onion (or a full minced onion)
• 2 jars of pimentos (love!)
• 1 tbsp of chives in mix and 1-2 tsp to add on top
• 1 tbsp of parsley
• 1-2 tsp sunflower oil
• 1-2 garlic cloves (or 1-2 tsp minced garlic)
• 1-2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 marjaram
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1-2  tsp mustard powder
• 1-1.5 cup veggie stock (or 1-2 bouillon)
• 1/2ish cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp dill weed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika

Preheat SC, on high, at least 1/2 hour ahead.  Add oil, garlic, onion, potato & celery- cover and SC for at least an hour. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, cover and SC for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 on low.
Again, this is for my small SC. Double time on larger SCs.
Try it and tell me what you think!
Enjoy!
​

Thank God for a break in the rain! Need to do some yard work tomorrow when the grass has dried a bit. 
Nothing like being out in the fall cool air for a while, then coming in to warm-up with some yummy soup! And there is something about having your slow cooker out with something slowly cooking! Open up that lid, put your head down to take a breath of whatever you are cooking- and soups just give that warm, inviting, calming smell to it.
Now, I have made plenty of spinach & artichoke dips in my SC, but this is a first for making the dip into a soup. Soooo glad I did. How amazing to get that taste of a favorite dip, but with that warming sense of a soup! Wonder which dip next I will turn into a soup......

• 2 cans of artichoke hearts
• 2-3 garlic cloves (I oven-roasted mine...yum)
• 1 veggie bouillon ( or some stock)
• 1/2-full onion ( your choice)
• 4-5 handfulls of fresh spinach (1 for broth blend)
• 3 tbsp of parmesean
• 1/2-1 can of diced black olives (your choice)
• 1 cup of water
• 1/4-1/2 cup of whipping cream
• 1 tbsp of Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp of rosemary
• 1/2 tsp of thyme
• 1/2 bay leaf

Turn on SC-high- ahead of time (like an oven). Dice garlic and onions and add to SC. Cover and SC for 1/2ish. Add chopped artichoke and cover for another 1/2 hour. Add spinach, parm. and the rest of the ingredients- mix well and cover and SC for on high for 1ish and low for 1-2 hours.
OR, add all the ingredients, mix well, cover and SC for 2 hours on high or 4 on low. 
I am using my smaller cooker, so my time is for 2.5 quart. If double the size, double the time.
To me, this is sooo good! But, I am a spinach and artichoke lover! 
Try for yourself and let me know!
Enjoy!

Nothing like having some soup during this non-stop rainy time in Northern Ohio. Amazing, how the other night I went to sleep while it was still raining, then woke up and it was still raining, went out later in the day....raining, came home later in the evening....raining. Next day, oh wait!.....a moment of no rain! Few minutes later......RAIN! 
Not trying to sound like I am complaining, because I will take rain over snow ANY DAY! 
Of course, being a healthy-ish flexitarian, decided to make a soup with cabbage. Cabbage is known to be a digestive detox and helps to lose weight. But, that is if you don't put it with a dish that has greasy, fatty meat or a lot of cheese or high in fatty carbs like pasta. 
Put a twist on a cabbage soup and infused it with Asian flavors:

• 1/4-1/2 cabbage- chopped big
• 10-12 green onions- chopped
• 12 cherry tomatoes- sliced and chopped
• 1/2-3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar (or regular vinegar)
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1/2 by leaf
• 1-2 tsp roasted sesame (better roasted)
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 cup veggie stock or 1 veggie bouillon
• 1/4 tsp siracha green dragon sauce (optional for a bit of a kick)
• 1/4 tsp oyster sauce
• 1.5 cup water
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• olive oil & garlic or garlic oil

Turn cooker on early to high. 15 minutes later either add oil and garlic or garlic oil. 10 minutes later add cabbage. Mix and cover to slow cook for 1 hour. Add green onion, tomatoes, ginger, pepper- mix and cover to cook for another 1/2 hour. Add rest of ingredients and cover for an hour, then turn on low for 1-2 hours.
OR, if you want to do this before work or going out for a while, then add all ingredients, mix it up and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. ***This is if you are using a 3.5 quart or higher. If making a smaller soup (like me) in a 2 1/2 quart, you don't need that much time. Estimate about half the amount. A 2-2.5 quart can serve 4-5 servings- believe it or not. Well, unless you have a really big bowl of soup! :-)
Feel free to top with more green onions or cilantro!
Enjoy!

Even though it was a very sunny day around 70, the air had that crisp fall feel to it. Made me want to have some soup....or some chowder!

Ingredients: 

• Frozen corn - 2-3 cups (thawed)
• 2 celery stalks (chopped)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup diced pimentos from a jar- with juice)
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1/4 cup of veggie stock
• 2-3 tsp of thyme
• 1-2 tbsp of light ranch
• cooking spray/ sunflower oil
• 1-2 tbsp parsley
• 1 tsp of rosemary

Turn on slow cooker to high. Add one garlic, tomatoes, pimentos. In a medium heat, add sunflower & spray with the other garlic. Add onion, then celery and lightly saute- add to cooker. Add veggie stock and ranch, then mix. Then add herbs and mix. Instead of using some thickener like cornstarch (yuck) or using part of my mix in cooker, I added some corn from bag to blender, added sunflower oil and water and blended it. Then added it to my chowder to thicken it. Better option, I do say! I also like that I put light ranch in for the creamy part. Another good choice, Dee!
Cover on low heat and let the cooker do its business! I used my 2 quart pot so it could be eaten-up sooner. I let it slow cook for a couple hours, then put it on warm to have a couple bowls throughout the day!
I decided that I wanted to have some garlic and herb bread chips for my chowder. So, I sliced large pieces of bread and added it to foil. Sprayed and added oil and garlic, pepper and herbs. Mixed it up with my hands then baked for 15 minutes at 400. So good to add a baked crispy bread to my chowder. Dipping it to have a soft part from chowder and crunchy part as well! One of my best chowders I've ever made! What do you think? Yum, no?

Yes, I am aware that my pics are sideways. ;-)