Two-Day Slow Cooker Comfort Soup

This morning I felt the flu or at least a good size cold coming on and wondered what I should do. I had picked up plenty of food at the Sanger Walmart yesterday, so the temple was well stocked, but now that I am living alone, I knew that I also had to consider how that food would be prepared. If I was going to be under the weather or at least my comforter, I had to do only two things: feed the cats and myself. My third “must do” job was connecting the temple to our morning chanting, but even that would go on without my input. Reba, Don, and Derby handle that very well. Many thanks and blessings to the Sangha and ZOOM.

I must confess that I am fully enjoying cooking for myself, and as long as I fix things that I can prepare while sitting down, I can cook about anything. Black Friday and Amazon gave me a new shiny air-fryer that was begging to be tested. That can wait. Instead I started what is becoming a pattern. Fill my 1 quart slow cooker with congee or soup, and make that last for several days by adding fresh veggies every day. Today I want to share with you one such strategy. It is based on a Potato-Nettle Soup recipe that I enjoy in the spring when the nettles are plentiful and tasty. I doubt if Milarepa’s daily gruel was this tasteful, but nettles are a very healthy addition to our diet. You may know that it is said that the reason Milarepa often is shown to be green in color is because his skin actually turned green from living on nettles.

INGREDIENTS

Olive or avocado oil (or butter)

Onion, diced

Potatoes of any sort, yellow, red, russet, etc., chopped

Mushrooms, chopped

Garlic, chopped or minced

Nutritional yeast

Water or broth

Kosher or other salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Milk or cream (animal, almond, coconut, etc.)

Miso

Greens, nettles, kale, spinach, or others, chopped, using only tender leaves. Stems and coarse parts may be frozen to make veggie broth.

DIRECTIONS: Heat the oil in skillet. Add onion and saute briefly. Add potatoes and saute a few more minutes. Add yeast and mushrooms and continue to saute until all is beginning to brown. Add to slow cooker with garlic. Deglaze pan with water or, if you have it, broth to capture all the results of the browning and remaining oil. Season with pepper and cook on slow for 6-8 hours on low or 4 or less hours on high. Just before serving add greens and heat until wilted. Mix miso with a little milk and add with more milk and adjust seasonings with more salt and pepper as desired. Reheat, but best not to bring to boil. Yogurt or sour cream would be nice. I have been adding “Everything but the Bagels” seasoning to just about everything. It is just black and white sesame seeds (probably toasted for more flavor), poppy seeds, powdered garlic, and salt. Also hemp hearts for a little texture. Diced green onions are also a good garnish. This is my idea of easy to fix comfort food.

DAY 2: I try and eat all the greens in the first meal, but no matter. The first day soup becomes the broth for the next day. You may puree it or just use as is. Store it in the slow cooking pot and save on dishes. You can add more greens and other vegetables like summer squash, corn, broccoli, green peas, bell peppers, more mushrooms, Brussels sprouts. etc. Whatever you have on hand. Leftover rice? You can even poach an egg or add tofu for protein. ENJOY.