Actually, there are several reasons, but the most important one is flavor. By definition, food cooks slowly in a slow cooker, and whether you are making a stew, a casserole, a soup or something else, all the flavors in your meal blend together in a crockpot more intensely than with any other cooking method.

Crockpot cooking is also handy if you going to be out all day because you can leave your French onion soup recipe, or whichever recipe you are making, to cook by itself. To make the best crockpot soup recipes, it is important to follow the recipe closely. With a lot of crockpot recipes, you simply throw everything in, stir it, and leave it, but if there are any other steps, it is important to do them.

Essential Tips for Crockpot Soups

Fill your crockpot about three quarters full but no more, else your crockpot soup will not cook properly. Remember that crockpots cook whatever is on the bottom faster than what is on the top. This is why hard vegetables like carrots and potatoes are normally added to the crockpot first, and meat or poultry goes on top.

Tender mushrooms like tomatoes and mushrooms only need about forty-five minutes, so you can add these near the end of the cooking time. Add dairy products like heavy cream or sour cream in the last thirty minutes, unless the recipe tells you otherwise.

You do not have to stir your soup while it cooks. If you remove the crockpot lid, you will lose heat from inside, which means you need to add twenty more minutes to the cooking time. Turn the lid back and forth quickly a few times, so the condensation drips off, and you will be able to see inside the crockpot.

Crockpot Creamy Potato and Celery Soup Recipe

This recipe for potato and celery soup is very easy to make. You simply chop the ingredients, add everything to your crockpot, and leave it to cook for about eight hours. If you will be out working all day and you want to get home to something hot and delicious, this crockpot soup recipe is ideal. This recipe serves eight people, so halve it if you want.

Potato and Celery Soup in the Slow Cooker

What you will need:

6 red potatoes, in 1/2 inch cubes
2 sliced leeks (just the white part)
1 cup half and half
1 chopped yellow onion
1 can cream of cheddar soup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 peeled, diced carrot or parsnip
1 can cream of celery soup
2 sliced stalks celery
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

How to make it:

Put the chopped potatoes and carrot or parsnip into the crockpot. Pour the cheddar soup and the celery soup over the top, then sprinkle over the salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Add the leeks, onion, garlic, and celery. Mix together the half-and-half and the chicken broth and pour this mixture over the top. Cover the crockpot and cook the potato and celery soup on low for 8 hours. Check the potato. If it is not quite tender, cook the soup for another hour. Serve this potato soup hot, with crusty bread and butter on the side.

With the cooler weather setting into the nights, air many a cooks attentions turn to warmer more filling meals. One of these meals so many like during the brisk nights dinners is soup. There are many different kinds of soup to many to name here but one soup above all conjures up images of elegance, sophistication and extraordinary presentations like that of French onion soup.

What is Freezer Burn?

Freezer burn occurs when air dries out the surface of foods, toughening the texture and worsening flavors. The burn is easy to identify (it’s frosty and gray), and it can be prevented by wrapping foods in airtight freezer-designed packages. (Be sure to keep the freezer door open only as briefly as possible. Too much exposure to warm air can cause temperature fluctuations, which invite freezer burn.) If your ice crystal-scorched food hasn’t been in the freezer longer than the recommended storing time, cut off the offending area as it thaws and cook as planned. Keep in mind: There’s nothing unsafe about freezer burn. It might not taste good, but it’s not going to make anyone sick.

Reference: www.realsimple.com