Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever by Diane Phillips Page A

soup will have you playing with your food!
    1½ pounds beef sirloin, cut into ½-inch pieces
    1½ teaspoons salt
    ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    1 medium onion, finely chopped
    3 medium carrots, finely chopped
    One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
    3 cups beef broth
    2 cups chicken broth (see savvy)
    4 ounces green beans, ends snipped, cut into 1-inch lengths
    2 cups frozen petite peas, defrosted
    2 cups frozen corn, defrosted
    2 cups cooked alphabet noodles or other small pasta shapes
    sprinkle the beef with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the beef a few pieces at a time and brown on all sides. Transfer the browned beef to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the onion and carrots to the same skillet and sauté until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes.
    transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert and add the tomato sauce, beef broth, chicken broth, and green beans. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Remove the cover and add the peas, corn, and noodles.
    cover and cook for an additional 45 minutes before serving.
    serves 6–8
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    broth savvy
    For this soup I wanted a lighter broth with a beef flavor, so I added chicken broth along with the beef broth. Vegetable broth may also be used in place of the chicken broth.

Old-Fashioned Beef and Barley Soup
    Barley thickens this hearty soup, and the aromas of the thyme, red wine, and meaty broth are a nice welcome-home after a long day. Serving this soup in hollowed- out bread bowls is a great idea for serving a crowd—there is minimal cleanup because you eat the bowl!
    2½ to 3 pounds beef chuck, sirloin, or flap meat, cut into ½-inch pieces
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
    8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
    1½ teaspoons dried thyme
    4 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
    3 stalks celery with leaves, coarsely chopped
    3 tablespoons tomato paste
    1 cup medium- to full-bodied red wine, such as Merlot, Chianti, Barolo, or Cabernet
    6 cups beef broth
    ½ cup pearl barley
    sprinkle the beef evenly with the 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the meat a few pieces at a time and brown on all sides. Transfer the browned meat to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.
    add the garlic, onions, mushrooms, and thyme to the same skillet over medium-high heat and sauté until the liquid from the mushrooms is evaporated.
    transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert. Add the carrots and celery to the cooker and stir to combine. Deglaze the skillet with the tomato paste and wine and allow the wine to reduce by about ¼ cup, stirring up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
    transfer the tomato mixture to the slow-cooker insert and add the broth and barley. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the beef and barley are tender.
    season with salt and pepper before serving.
    serves 8

Steak and Ale Soup
    Pub grub has gotten a bad rap for years for being tasteless and boring, but this hearty soup with root veggies simmering in a rich ale-infused beef broth is anything but. The ale adds a sweet note to the rich beefy flavor of the broth.
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    2 pounds beef chuck or short ribs, fat trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
    2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
    3 cloves garlic, sliced
    1 teaspoon dried thyme
    One 12-ounce bottle dark ale
    3 cups beef broth
    4 cups baby carrots
    4 medium parsnips, cut into 1-inch lengths
    2 cups red, Yukon gold, or new white potatoes
    heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Combine the flour, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper in a zippertop plastic bag. Toss the meat in the flour, a few pieces at a time.
    add the meat, a few pieces at a time, to the oil and