Crockpot Sweet Potato Soup

This is a wonderful fall recipe; the color, aroma, and taste are all the best autumn has to offer.  It’s the perfect way to warm up on a crisp cool evening.  This soup can either be made on the stove or in a crockpot.  I like to throw all the ingredients in the crockpot just before leaving for work — what a stress reliever to come home to the smell of dinner only minutes from serving!

Ingredients:

1 c. celery, chopped

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

32 oz. Imagine “No-Chicken Broth”

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. honey or maple syrup

Method:

Saute celery and onion in olive oil until tender.  Put sautéed mixture in crockpot and add all other ingredients. Cook on High for 8 – 9 hours (until you return home).

Remove bay leaf. Puree cooked mixture with a submersible stick blender.  (Or if you have extra time, cool cooked mixture and puree in batches in blender.)

Add: 16 oz. rice milk, 3 scoops rice “Better Than Milk,”  3/4 tsp. cinnamon and puree again until creamy.  Add more rice milk if soup is too thick.

Serve hot topped with chopped walnuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon, croutons, or chopped scallions.

Recipe: Vegetarian Slow Cooker Casserole

Normally vegetarian recipes for dishes prepared in a slow cooker require additional preparation before you put everything into the slow cooker and turn it on. I like this one because it requires no advance prep: nothing to saute or blanch beforehand. What could be easier?

Ingredients:

2 – 3 large potatoes, sliced

2 – 3 med. carrots, sliced

1/2 lb. frozen peas

3 med. onions, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 – 10 oz. can condensed tomato soup

1 – 10 oz. can water

salt, pepper, smoked paprika* (as desired).

1/2 package Morning Star Veggie Crumbles

Method:

Place layers of vegetables in order given into slow cooker. Season each layer with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to taste.

Mix together tomato soup and water, and pour mixture over all.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hrs.

After 6 hours have passed add the Veggie Crumbles. Gently stir to mix and turn heat to HIGH.

Cook an additional 10 – 15 minutes until heated through and vegetables are tender.

*Smoked paprika is a wonderful spice that gives vegetables a barbecued flavor.