10 Slow Cooker Soups for Two Seniors With Only 3 Ingredients (No Big Pot, No Leftovers), by Cooking for Two Again on YouTube. 21 min 35 s.
- Video length
- 21 min 35 s
- Time to do it
- 4 hours, mostly hands-off
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Choose one soup and set out a 2-quart slow cooker. Each recipe makes two bowls of about 2 cups. You need no big pot and no knife.
Thaw chicken breasts and frozen meatballs in the fridge the night before. Frozen vegetables go in straight from the freezer, still frozen.
Put the main ingredients in the pot with the liquid the recipe lists, such as 3 cups broth or 1½ cups water. Salt and pepper are free extras.
Set the cooker to LOW and put the lid on. Cook 2 to 4½ hours depending on the soup, until the chicken or meatballs are hot all the way through.
Shred cooked chicken with two forks right in the pot, then stir so it mixes into the liquid.
Add quick items late. Egg noodles, half-and-half, frozen spinach and clams go in for the last 30 minutes. Biscuit pieces for dumplings need a full hour with the lid down.
Check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Chicken, meatballs, sausage and clams need 165°F, and cooked ham needs 140°F.
Cool what you do not eat and put it in the fridge within 2 hours. Reheat to 165°F on the stove or in the microwave, never in the slow cooker.
Tips and common mistakes
Cabbage and coleslaw mix cook down by half, so tip in the whole bag.
Whisk condensed soup into the water first so it does not sit in lumps.
Keep the lid on between checks, since lifting it lets the heat out and slows cooking.
On a low-sodium diet, use low-sodium broth and follow your doctor's advice.
Questions
Can I double a recipe in a 2-quart slow cooker?
No, a 2-quart pot is sized for two bowls. Doubling fills it too high and the soup will cook unevenly.
Can I put frozen chicken in the slow cooker?
No. Thaw it in the fridge overnight first so it reaches 165°F safely and evenly.
How long do the leftovers keep?
About 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat each portion to 165°F before eating.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
