Photo credit: The Daily Soup Cookbook by Leslie Kaul, Bob Spiegal, Carla Rubin and Peter Siegel — Photo credit: *The Daily Soup Cookbook* by Leslie Kaul, Bob Spiegal, Carla Rubin and Peter Siegel

When I throw a couple cups of beans in the slow cooker insert, along with a chunk of meat straight from the freezer (or not, if I’m in a vegetarian mood), salt, a bay leaf, and water; cover and set it to Low (8 – 10 hours), that’s Phase One.

Slow cooker cooking delivers food so tasty, it’s hard to believe it’s so easy.

Phase Two: Sauté diced onions, garlic, savories and spices. Add the sauté to the beans/stock. Do this sooner or, later. Doesn’t matter.

Phase Three: Go about your business for six, eight, ten hours. Return to mouth-watering aromas. Eat.

What’s not to love? No effort: quick prep, no babysitting, quick clean up. Perfect, whether you’re busy or lazy.

No recipe. Of course, you can use one. But use it as a guide and reference, rather than a mathematical formula. Less planning equals more playing with your food.

No worries. Whatever you do, it’s always right. How can that be? You’ll see.

Phase 2 is the fun part, creating the flavor palette. What’s my starting point if I’m not using a recipe? I open the door of my fridge and peer inside. A few green peppers that aren’t getting any fresher. Onions and celery. In the pantry, dried thyme and white pepper. Cajun would work.

What else have I got? A jar of left-over canned chiptole peppers in adobo sauce. These lovelies are long-lived, but not immortal. With garlic, canned diced tomatoes, the green peppers, and herbs from the produce freezer, Mexican would work better. Mexican it is.

Produce freezer? Yes. Out in the garage. It’s packed with zip-lock baggies of green beans, chard, corn, herbs o’plenty and more. When you belong to a CSA, as I do, if you’re smart, you cache the fall gold in the freezer. I was so smart this past harvest, I’m overwhelmed.

Well, I don’t have to make a final decision this minute. Still, I take baggies of frozen cilantro and oregano back to the kitchen.

Fifteen, twenty minutes later, I add to the insert a sauté of onions, garlic, oregano, cilantro, chipotle peppers in adobo, chili powder, hot sauce and canned tomatoes. Some more salt, a few grinds of pepper. I don’t worry about measuring. I’ll adjust the seasons later.

I go to work. I run errands. When I return, the house is redolent with the heady perfume of slow cooking.

Before I even take off my coat, I lift the lid off the slow cooker and inhale, deeply. Taste. Needs salt. Maybe a little vinegar. Some veggies. I drown frozen chard and corn in the gently bubbling braise, and cover. I go take off my coat, change out of my work clothes.

With a wooden spoon, I mix the now-thawed chard and corn into the simmering velvety liquid thick with dissolved and broken-up beans. The meat has disappeared off the bone. I taste, adjust seasonings, tell Hubby and Son to quit crowding me.

Son sets the table. Hubby fills water glasses and pulls hot sauce from the fridge. I serve up bowls of fragrant stew. I haven’t been home thirty minutes.

Mmmmm. Wintertime, and the eating is easy.

No-Effort No-Recipe Slow Cooker Stew

Phase 1: Stock Base

Chunk of meat (Optional.) Beef. Pork. Venison. Sausage. Whatever you have on hand. Frozen, or not.
Beans, brown rice, potatoes or squash
Water or stock, fill insert 2/3 full
Salt and pepper
Bay leaf
Set on Low for 8 – 10 hours of cooking, High for 6 – 8.

Phase 2: Flavor Base Sauté (List not exhaustive!):

Italian: onions, garlic, canned diced tomatoes, bay leaf, basil, oregano.
Indian: onions, garlic, ginger, hot peppers, curry spices, cilantro, canned diced tomatoes.
Chinese: garlic, ginger, sherry, soy sauce.
Mexican: onions, garlic, fresh or smoked chili peppers, canned diced tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cilantro.
Continental: onions, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, bay leaf, thyme, wine.
Cajun/Creole: onions, celery, green peppers, thyme, white pepper.
Barbeque: onion, garlic, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, canned diced tomatoes, coriander, cumin.
Veggies (can be part of sauté or, add raw):
- Slow cooking (squash, carrots, cabbage, turnips, potato): add early.
- Fast cooking (greens, green beans, broccoli, pasta): add an hour (or less) before finish.

Phase 3: Walk away!

If you’re around, occasionally give a stir and a taste, adjust salt and seasonings. If not, no worries.
Before serving, adjust seasonings, add acids (vinegar, lemon juice), fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, dill), and/or sauces (hot, soy) to taste.

Bon appétit!

Sick? Make this No-Effort No-Recipe Sick Soup

Phase 1: Add brown rice and salt to slow cooker insert. Fill 2/3 full with water (or stock). Set to High (6 – 8 hours).

Phase 2: If you’re really sick, don’t bother sauté-ing the flavor base. Just coarsely dice your veggies and toss them in raw.
- Sauté diced onion, garlic, ginger, carrots, cabbage, and whatever greens or other veggies you have on hand. (Meat option: brown a little burger in the sauté.)
- Add to insert.

Phase 3: Walk away. Get in bed. Drink lots of ginger lemon tea.
- After you stagger out of bed to visit the bathroom, go give a stir. Add water if the soup gets too thick.
- At end, season to taste with whatever condiments appeal. (Meat option: add left-over meat, chicken or fish.)

Eat and get well.