Vegetarian Crockpot Recipes

Just hauled out my crockpot this week and have made dinner in it the last two nights. So good and it's ready when I get home from work. Other than driving the dog crazy with the wonderful aromas all day long this is our new favorite thing!

The cookbook I'm using is not vegetarian but it's also is not full of canned soup recipes. Yesterday we had Potato Soup Florentine and tonight we had Fragrant Brown Rice and Mushroom soup. Tomorrow we're having Fennel and Bean and Thursday it's Tortilla soup night. We're freezing the leftovers (just two of us) so we have a whole 'nother meal for later.

Here's the soup we had tonight, vegetarian version. This is from Mabel Hoffman's Complete Crockery Cookery I found the book at BJ's Wholesale for about $10. My variations/suggestions are in parentheses. Recipe has been reworded to comply with copyright.

Fragrant Brown Rice and Mushroom soup

3/4 cup long-grain brown rice
6 oz. mushrooms, diced (I used a whole 10 oz. container)
1 medium onion, diced
1 large celery rib, diced (I used three smaller ones)
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. ground black pepper (pretty spicy, I suggest using half this amount)
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
6 cups stock
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup plain yogurt
3 tbsp. chopped green onion (green and white parts)

Combine everything except last three ingredients in a 3½ qt. crockpot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours (mine went from 8am to 6pm and was still excellent) or until rice is tender. When ready to serve, stir in cilantro and serve in bowls garnished with the yogurt and green onions.

Smells divine and is scrumptious!

I love crockpot cooking...I can go for a walk and the meal can do its thing. Lately I have been making squash in it, so easy! Just take a whole squash that will fit in your pot ( I have done sweet dumpling and butternut) put it in and turn on low 6-8 or high about 3-4. Take it out and split and scrape out the seeds, embellish as you will. Last night we had spanish rice in there...
3c. tomato juice
1.5c brown rice
1 gr pepper
3 gr onion
garlic, cumin, pepper as you see fit
high for 1.5-2 h. then stir in frozen corn.
Our favorite for breakfast...
rice, millet, oat groats, whatever grain you like, 1-3 cups depending on how many people. Pinch of cinnamon, cut up apples, raisins, other dried fruit. Cover with 3 inches of water put on lowwhen you go to bed. Enjoy in the morning with milk and maple syrup.
Also, chili soups seem to be especially easy to adapt.

Fennel and Potato Soup
1 bulb fennel (anise)
1 qt. stock
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 small onion chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Save feathery fennel leaves for garnish. Remove stalks and tough bottom from fennel bulb. Discard outer part if it's in rough shape then quarter and chop into small strips. Combine rest of ingredients, cover and cook on low for about 8 hours until veggies are tender. Serve garnished with fennel sprigs.

Fennel-Bean Soup
2 carrots, sliced 1/8 thick rounds
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered and sliced (save feathery leaves for garnish)
1 large chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 qt. stock
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, undrained (look for low salt)
2 cups coarsley shredded fresh spinach
salt and peper to taste

Combine everything except beans and spinach in crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until carrots are tender but not mushy. Turn control to high and add beans (with liquid) and spinach. Cook an additional 20-25 minutes. Serve garnished with fennel sprigs.

I have found that since there is little evaporation with crock pot cooking I need to reduce the liquids in a conventional recipe by nearly half. Otherwise my usually tasty dishes taste yucky and watery. Dense vegetables like carrots, parsnips, potatoes and rutabagas need to be thinly sliced and placed at the bottom of the pot if they are to turn out tender. Things like peas, corn, peppers and tofu or strong flavours like broccoli, cauliflower or greens shouldn't be added to the pot until the last 15-60 minutes of cooking.

At first it was hard for me to prepare a soup in the crockpot by layering the ingredients and not stirring them right away, but it really does make a difference. I put the vegetables in starting with the slowest cooking ones, then add some barley or rice, then some precooked beans, then my seasoning and finally the liquid. It usually starts out looking like there isn't enough liquid but as the water from the veggies themselves stays in the pot, there is always just the right amount by supper time.

For one of our favourite recipes, just fill about 2/3 of the crock pot with chopped potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots and onions. Combine 1 cup of vegetable stock, 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp. brown sugar and a little salt and pepper. Pour it over the vegetables and cook at Low for 8-10 hours or High for 4-6 hours, stirring once every hour.

Look what I found:

The Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Joanna White

and

Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker: 200 Recipes for Healthy and Hearty One-Pot Meals That Are Ready when You Are by Robin Robertson

Does anyone know about these? I found them on Barnes and Noble's website.

Also, I just got an email from Vegetarian Times. The article I remembered was more recient. Here is what she said:

"Ready When You Are" ran in the October 2000 issue with tips on adapting recipes for a slow cooker and recipes for Gingered Carrot Soup, Spinach Manicotti, Herbed White Beans, Spiced Chickpeas, Potato and Eggplant Casserole, Ratatouille and Hearty Rice-Vegetable Soup. _You can order back issues at: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/about_vt/purchase.asp."

Thanks Mamas for starting this thread. I'm learning a lot and I'm determined to try the recipes you all have shared.

Ive been struggling with whether to buy a crockpot, as I dont eat meat and wondered if it would be a good investment. Most crockpot cookbooks are mainly meat dishes..

heres another great site with veggie recipes, some for the crockpot.

http://vegetarian.allrecipes.com/default.asp

and here's another

http://www.recipezaar.com/browse/ind...E105F&notpath=

I love vegetarian times recipes! Reminds me I should get a subscription to that mag....