s

s

Crockpot Callaloo Soup

Today’s post is part of a blog tour for Robin Robertson’s latest book “Fresh From the Vegan Slowcooker”. Most of you are probably familiar with this author as she is practically the queen of vegan cuisine with more than 20 cookbooks under her belt (two of my favorites being Vegan Planet and Vegan Fire and Spice).

“Fresh From the Vegan Slowcooker”  is amazingly helpful for those of us who adore their slowcookers, and especially for those of us who often rely on crockpots to get a ton of food on the table almost effortlessly. Robin and her publisher have been very kind to share this delightful recipe for Crockpot Callaloo Soup with us. I happily devoured an entire recipe’s worth of the Callaloo Soup all by myself this past week… truly delicious.

 Enjoy!

Crockpot Callaloo Soup

A guest post by Robin Robertson, author of Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker (The Harvard Common Press, 2012)

 

Of all the recipes that can be made in a slow cooker, soups are among the most popular.  Everyone loves the soul-satisfying experience of homemade soup.  A pot of soup is healthful, restorative, and delicious and when prepared in a slow cooker, it’s also easy and convenient.   Even those of us with busy schedules and hectic lifestyles can enjoy the simple pleasure of a hot, freshly made bowl of soup.

As with traditional soup-making, soups made in a slow cooker are among the most flexible recipes in that you can add, increase, or eliminate various ingredients to suit your taste.  You can even leave a soup cooking (or keeping warm) after it’s done cooking, and it will still taste fine. Most soups should be made in a larger slow cooker because they need a few inches of space at the top so they can bubble up without spilling over. In addition, the size variation in certain ingredients may affect the volume of soup, and a larger model is better able to handle such discrepancies.

One of my favorite soups in Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker is the Crockpot Callaloo Soup.  Like make of the recipes in this book, this soup is gluten-free. (All of the recipes are marked to indicate if they are gluten-free or soy-free.)  This colorful and flavorful soup, with its subtle heat and light coconut broth, is a delicious change from the usual vegetable soup.

 

Recipe: Crockpot Callaloo Soup

Serves 4

Slow Cooker Size: 4- to 6-quart

Cook Time: 6 hours on Low

Gluten-free

Soy-free

 

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil (optional)
  • 1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (2 cups)
  • 1 medium-size red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 to 2 jalapeños or other hot chiles, seeded and minced
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1½ cups cooked dark red kidney beans or other red beans or 1 (15-ounce) can beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • ½ teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 ounces baby spinach
  • 1 (13.5-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

 

Directions

1. For the best flavor, heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Alternatively, omit the oil and sauté these ingredients in a few tablespoons of water or combine them in a microwave-safe bowl with a little water, cover, and microwave for 2 minutes.

 

2. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Add the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, jalapeño, tomatoes, and beans. Stir in the broth, thyme, and allspice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on Low for 5½ hours, or until the vegetables are tender.

 

3. Stir in the spinach and coconut milk. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Cover and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

 

Recipe © 2012 by Robin Robertson and used by permission of The Harvard Common Press.

Share with friends!

10 Responses to Crockpot Callaloo Soup

  1. Barbara says:

    I made this soup tonight! It was so delicious and seems really nutritious! Thanks for sharing it with us.

  2. Merry says:

    Where is the callaloo in the soup? Should I replace the spinach with callaloo?

  3. Jessica says:

    I LOVE to use my slow cooker, so I can’t wait to try this recipe. Is it important for flavor to use the coconut milk, or will any unsweetened, nondairy milk work?

    • allyson says:

      Hey Jessica,

      I personally think the coconut milk is pretty important to the flavor of the soup, and the texture, so I’d probably stick with that–although it’s worth a shot to try another type of milk if you’d like. Maybe almond would be an okay sub? Maybe email Robin personally for best results, though. :)

  4. Carole says:

    I have made Robin’s “Close to Callaloo” stew many times, which does not use a crockpot. It’s delicious and different; this is guaranteed to be a winner!

  5. Robin says:

    Thanks so much for hosting me on my blog tour, Allyson. Your photo of the callaloo soup is gorgeous!

  6. This looks so delicious (and easy)! I like saying the name, too. ;) Can’t wait to pick up a copy of this book.