“No, I never have soup for lunch”

Two points to the first commenter who correctly identifies the title. (YCT, you should be able to get this one…)

Several weeks ago, the company we’d been expecting for Shabbat lunch unfortunately had to cancel on Thursday night.

And since the older Shiputzim children were going away for the weekend, the cholent I’d been planning no longer seemed like such a great idea.

In other words, it was the perfect opportunity to make vegetable soup in the crockpot.

Depending on the ingredients I have on hand, this soup comes out differently every time, but in the interest of proper blogging, I decided to record the version I made that week – i.e. the first Shabbat Chanukah:

Crockpot Vegetable Soup

(Parshat Vayeishev 5770 Version)

Update: I posted a picture of the Shabbat Parshat Shmot 5770 version here.

Ingredients

• 8 onions, chopped
• Assorted chicken parts – wings, necks, backbone (turkey parts are fine, too)
• 6 carrots, sliced very thin (or chopped)
• 1 medium sweet potato, chopped
• ½ cup barley (soaked overnight and then drained)
• Herbs, finely chopped (I used dried parsley, dill and thyme that week)
• Garlic, chopped – lots
• Bay leaf or two
• [Optional] 2-3 soupspoons of tomato paste
• Pepper
• Salt
• Other suggested ingredients (none of which I had on hand that particular week): chopped parsnip, chopped celery, split peas, and an assortment of beans.

Directions

Place everything in crockpot. Add water to cover. Cook on high for a few hours and then turn crockpot down to low just before Shabbat.

בתאבון!