TAKE THIS ALL WITH A GRAIN OF SALT I AM NOT A FOOD
BLOGGER :) :) :)
BLOGGER :) :) :)
2 (14 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes, with juice
1-2 heaping c frozen corn (sorry, I don't really measure the veggies - I do what I'm feeling that day. I just make sure to dice everything smallllll so that everything is relatively the same size and cooks evenly)
1-2 heaping c diced carrots (I like them tinyyy)
1-2 heaping c diced celery (I like these tinyyy - the key to veggies in soups for me is tinyyy pieces)
1-2 c heaping diced onions
1tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
4 c chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 c flour
1/2 c butter
1 heaping cup Parmesan cheese (real stuff! not powdered!)
2 c half and half or milk (or a combo - just whatever I'm trying to use up in the fridge)
1tsp salt (possibly more to taste)
1/4 tsp black pepper, optional
(OPTIONAL: I'll add in cooked rice - or arborio rice - too. If I'm feeling crazy. SORRY I DO NOT MEASURE HOW MUCH.)
Add first eight ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until vegetables are soft. Turn slow cooker off. (**This past time I did 7 hours on high, and waited until the last hour to add the corn. Just because in the past, I'd be frustrated to discover my carrots STILL not being completely soft. And the 7-8 hours on high really was perfect.)
I follow her steps 2-5. (Maybe reference her entire recipe if you want, as she explains MUCH better than me. Ha. I just have a few ingredient changes. I'm pretty sure she also explains a stovetop way to cook this, if that's more your style.)
Will look super thin at first, but once it cools down, the roux and parmesan cheese should thicken the soup considerably. (If you do not use real parmesan cheese, your soup won't look or taste like mine. A lot of the seasoning comes from the REAL parmesan cheese.)
Depending also on what kind of chicken broth you use, you may need to season more. I usually have to add more salt, a tiny bit at at time. Taste it first and see what you think.
Leftovers freeze beautifully. To reheat, I drop the frozen block of soup into a small crockpot on lowwww for four-ish hours. I do not touch or stir until completely heated through. (If you try to break up a partially frozen block of soup, it'll come out grainy and gross.) While cooking, the soup will look separated and awful! But if you are patient, DO NOT TOUCH IT WHILE IT IS COOKING, and only stir it once it is completely melted, it'll come out good as new.
See my Instagram post for a visual of this soup + how I keep our freezer stocked. Click here to see what else I'm freezing for postpartum.
Add first eight ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until vegetables are soft. Turn slow cooker off. (**This past time I did 7 hours on high, and waited until the last hour to add the corn. Just because in the past, I'd be frustrated to discover my carrots STILL not being completely soft. And the 7-8 hours on high really was perfect.)
I follow her steps 2-5. (Maybe reference her entire recipe if you want, as she explains MUCH better than me. Ha. I just have a few ingredient changes. I'm pretty sure she also explains a stovetop way to cook this, if that's more your style.)
Will look super thin at first, but once it cools down, the roux and parmesan cheese should thicken the soup considerably. (If you do not use real parmesan cheese, your soup won't look or taste like mine. A lot of the seasoning comes from the REAL parmesan cheese.)
Depending also on what kind of chicken broth you use, you may need to season more. I usually have to add more salt, a tiny bit at at time. Taste it first and see what you think.
Leftovers freeze beautifully. To reheat, I drop the frozen block of soup into a small crockpot on lowwww for four-ish hours. I do not touch or stir until completely heated through. (If you try to break up a partially frozen block of soup, it'll come out grainy and gross.) While cooking, the soup will look separated and awful! But if you are patient, DO NOT TOUCH IT WHILE IT IS COOKING, and only stir it once it is completely melted, it'll come out good as new.
See my Instagram post for a visual of this soup + how I keep our freezer stocked. Click here to see what else I'm freezing for postpartum.
