October 17, 2016

Slow Cooker Carrot Apple Soup with Za’atar Croutons

Name: Slow Cooker Carrot Apple Soup with Za'atar Croutons
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 25 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 pounds carrots, peeled and diced; 3 Michigan Gala apples, peeled, cored and diced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 bay leaf; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 2 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional as needed; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus additional as needed; 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne; 4 cups chicken stock; 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar; 2 cups cubed crusty bread (I used ciabatta bread, cut into 1-inch cubes); 2 teaspoons za'atar; 3 tablespoons olive oil; Plain yogurt; Microgreens or chopped fresh parsley (optional); Plain yogurt

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Let your crockpot do all the work for this Slow Cooker Carrot Apple Soup with Za’atar Croutons, a vibrant, healthful, flavorful autumn soup!

Overhead shot of 4 bowls of soup made with apples and carrots on gray background, topped with yogurt, herbs and croutons.

Home cooks across Michigan love the great apples available in our state, perfect for cooking or eating on their own. Today, I’m guest posting for the Michigan Apples blog, sharing a recipe featuring Gala apples.

Slow cookers are known for one delicious service they provide: being able to fill the pot with ingredients, go to work for eight hours, and come home to delicious crockpot soups. Unless . . . you work from home.

And then, you fill the pot with ingredients, stay at home with it for eight hours as it smells progressively more and more amazing, and then text your husband to come home now so that you can eat right when the eight hour mark hits.

About this Carrot Apple Soup:

This Slow Cooker Carrot Apple Soup kind of tortured me as it’s mouthwatering smells filled my home as I worked. The longer it cooked, the better it smelled.

The combination of carrots, Michigan Gala apples, chicken stock and warming spices like cumin, cayenne and turmeric make this soup a savory and subtly sweet flavor explosion.

The Za’atar Croutons are totally optional, but totally encouraged. No, you can’t cook them in the slow cooker, but you CAN make them in less than 20 minutes as the soup finishes it’s cook time.

Use any crusty bread that you have on hand (I used ciabatta), toss it with olive oil and za’atar, and bake until crispy.

What is za’atar?

Za’atar is a spice and seed blend popular in the Middle East. You can make it yourself or buy a pre-made blend. The blend I purchased is simply a mixture of crushed sumac, thyme leaves, salt and sesame seeds.

If you can’t find or make za’atar, feel free to season your croutons with just sesame seeds and salt.

Be sure to try this recipe while Michigan Gala apples are at their peak. Their mellow sweetness and crisp bite make them a great ingredient for savory recipes, like my coleslaw with celery seed! To find out more about Michigan Apples, be sure to connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Yield: About 8 cups soup