Here is the recipe:

Vegetarian Carrot Soup

Combine the first 5 ingredients in your crock pot and cook on high for 3 hours.  Check to see the carrots are cooked and if not, then cook another 1/2 to 1 hour.  Some crock pots cook faster than others so this is why I suggest this.

Strain the liquid into a large jug and puree the carrot mixture.  Add back the liquid a little at a time until you get a texture you like.  Add the lemon juice and stir through.  Serve with a tablespoon of cream or yogurt (I like the yogurt taste) with some extra tarragon for garnish and serve with toast, crusty bread or crackers.

If you use the skim milk yogurt this is a no fat recipe perfect for my diet right now.  This makes a great crock pot meal for lunches during the week.

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Casseroles are perfect for winter or when you know you haven't got much time to cook as you just set and forget in the crock pot.  I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you want to adjust it slightly then go ahead and let me know how it turns out.  Cooking is all about experimenting with the recipe to suit your tastes and this crock pot meal is no exception.

Beef Casserole with Paprika

1 kg steak cut into large cubes*
1 tab butter
2 onions, chopped
1 tab butter extra
1 tab plain flour
2 teas mustard
2 tabs tomato paste
1/2 teas regular paprika
1/2 teas smoked paprika
1/2 cup each of red wine and beef stock **
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the meat in the first lot of butter and remove to the crock pot.  Add the extra butter then add the onions and cook until clear then add the  flour.  Cook for a minute then add the rest of the ingredients to the pan.  Bring to the boil stirring constantly then pour over the meat in the crock pot.  Cook on high for 4 hours on high or 6 - 7 hours on low.  If  the casserole needs any more thickening do that now just before serving.  You may find you  need this as the meat does give off more juices during cooking.  Serves 4 - 5.

Serve  Beef Casserole with Paprika with rice, mashed potatoes or small whole potatoes.  As there are only two of us this crock pot meal makes two meals for us.  I serve it one night with the small potatoes topped with sour cream and steamed vegetables, and the next night with rice as a quick meal.

*  Cheaper cuts do well cooked on the low setting
** You can replace the red wine with the same amount of beef stock if you want.

The base of every great soup is a good meat or vegetable stock.  Also use the best ingredients you can for your soups, and if you can make your own stock with fresh ingredients.

Cooking soups in the crock pot brings out the flavors of the ingredients you are using.  With the slow cooking the crock pot makes soup making easy as well as there are usually only one or two steps to making a great soup.

Vegetarian soups are becoming some of my favorite crock pot recipes lately with split peas, pumpkin or potato to thicken them.  I find these soups also improve in flavor the next day.  A vegetable soup make in the crock pot is also healthy and usually low fat.

Seasoning soups is easy with ingredients such as bay leaves, cinnamon, ginger, pepper and the addition of herbs like parsley, thyme, mint and other seasonal fresh herbs.  Thicken your soup with potato, arrowroot or cornflour or take some soup out and blend, then add back for a natural thickening.  I tend to the latter a lot with vegetable soups.

To reduce fat even more from your crock pot soups allow to cool and skim off any fat from the top.  When heating soups only heat what you need and not the whole pot, and freeze in individual or family size servings if possible.  When you freeze your soups this way they are ready in the future for use instead of a fast food meal when you are busy or when you need an entree to add to a meal.

Served with crusty bread,  a bowl of steaming soup is the perfect meal and making your soup in the crock pot makes the process easy for you as well.

If you haven't picked up your free copy of  Delicious Soup Recipes from the top of this page then do so today or check out some of my recipes here -> Crock Pot Meals Recipes.