CI'S SLOW-COOKER BLACK BEAN SOUP

SLOW-COOKER BLACK BEAN SOUP

Serves 6 to 8. From The Best Make-Ahead Recipe.

Serve this soup with minced red onion, sour cream, and hot sauce, if desired. If the soup becomes too thick as it sits, thin to the desired consistency with either water or broth.

PREP-AHEAD TRIPS: You can store the following ingredients together:
1. Cook the vegetables as described in step 1, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerator.
2. Pick over and rinse the black beans and refrigerate.

2	tablespoons vegetable oil
3	medium onions , minced
3	celery ribs , chopped medium
2	medium carrots , chopped medium
6	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
5	teaspoons ground cumin
1/2	teaspoon red pepper flakes
	Salt
3	cups water
3	cups low-sodium chicken broth
1	pound dried black beans (about 2 1/4 cups), picked over and rinsed
2	medium smoked ham hocks
2	bay leaves
1/4	cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
	Ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, cumin, pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. 2. Transfer the vegetables to the slow cooker insert and stir in the water, broth, black beans, ham hocks, and bay leaves until evenly combined. Cover and cook on low until the soup has thickened and the beans are tender, 8 to 10 hours. (Alternatively, cover and cook on high for 6 to 7 hours.)

3. 3. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Remove the ham hocks and transfer them to a plate to cool. Meanwhile, puree 2 cups of the soup in a blender until smooth, then stir back into the slow cooker insert. When the hocks are cool enough to handle, remove any meat, discarding the skin, fat, and bones, and add the meat back to the soup. Stir in the cilantro, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

America’s Test Kitchen is a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of Boston. It is the home of Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated magazines and is the workday destination for more than three dozen test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes until we understand how and why they work and arrive at the best version. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance. You can watch us work by tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com) on public television.

CI'S SLOW-COOKER SPLIT PEA SOUP

SLOW-COOKER SPLIT PEA SOUP

Serves 6 to 8. From The Best Make-Ahead Recipe.

Dried green peas can often contain small stones, so make sure to pick them over carefully.

PREP-AHEAD TIPS: You can store the following ingredients together:
1. Cook the vegetables as described in step 1, then transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate.
2. Pick over and rinse the split peas and refrigerate.

2	tablespoons vegetable oil
2	medium onions , minced
2	medium carrots , chopped medium
2	celery ribs , chopped medium
	Salt
4	cups water
4	cups low-sodium chicken broth
1	pound green split peas (2 1/2 cups), picked over and rinsed
2	medium smoked ham hocks
3	bay leaves
1	tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves , or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4	teaspoon red pepper flakes
2	tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
	Ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. 2. Transfer the vegetables to the slow cooker insert and stir in the water, broth, split peas, ham hocks, bay leaves, thyme, and pepper flakes until evenly combined. Cover and cook on low until the soup has thickened and the peas are tender, 10 to 11 hours. (Alternatively, cover and cook on high for 6 to 7 hours.)

3. 3. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Remove the ham hocks and transfer them to a plate to cool; when cool enough to handle, remove any meat, discarding the skin, fat, and bones, and add the meat back to the soup. Stir in the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

America’s Test Kitchen is a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of Boston. It is the home of Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated magazines and is the workday destination for more than three dozen test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes until we understand how and why they work and arrive at the best version. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance. You can watch us work by tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com) on public television.

CI'S BEEF BARLEY SOUP

BEEF BARLEY SOUP

Serves 6 to 8. From Cover and Bake.

The barley, cooked over a long period of time, adds body as well as a nutty flavor to the soup. This soup is often seasoned with dill; simply replace the parsley with 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill.

TIME: 7 to 8 hours on low or 5 to 6 hours on high

3	pounds beef chuck roast , trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see illustrations below)
	Salt and ground black pepper
2	tablespoons vegetable oil
2	medium onions , minced
2	medium carrots , peeled and chopped fine
1/2	cup dry red wine
2	(14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1	teaspoon dried thyme
4	cups low-sodium beef broth
4	cups low-sodium chicken broth
2/3	cup pearl barley
1/4	cup minced fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Dry the beef thoroughly with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the meat to the skillet and cook, without stirring, until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Stir the meat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until completely browned, 4 to 6 minutes longer. Transfer it to a slow cooker. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and heat 2 more teaspoons oil until just smoking. Brown the remaining beef and transfer it to the slow cooker.

2. 2. Return the skillet to medium heat and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil until shimmering. Add the onions, carrots, and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, scraping the browned bits off the skillet bottom, and cook until almost dry, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and the thyme; bring to a boil. Pour into the slow cooker.

3. 3. Stir the beef and chicken broths and the barley into the slow cooker. Cover and cook, on either low or high, until the beef is tender, 7 to 8 hours on low or 5 to 6 hours on high. Before serving, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

STEP-BY-STEP

Cutting Stew Meat For stew meat pieces that are cut from the right part of the animal and regularly shaped, we suggest buying a boneless roast and cutting the meat yourself. A 3-pound roast will yield about 2 1/2 pounds of beef, perfect for searing in two batches.

1. Pull apart the roast at its major seams (delineated by lines of fat and silver skin). Use a knife as necessary.

2. With a knife, trim off excess fat and silver skin.

3. Cut the meat into cubes or chunks as directed in specific recipes.

America’s Test Kitchen is a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of Boston. It is the home of Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated magazines and is the workday destination for more than three dozen test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes until we understand how and why they work and arrive at the best version. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance. You can watch us work by tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com) on public television.