Slow cooker tip!

I love my slow cooker. It's great for lazy days just as it is great for busy work days as well. The convenience of throwing everything into a pot and letting it do all the work is so enticing. It's capable of churning out some pretty beautiful soups, stews, sauces, and side dishes with the help of some supporting veg and the right seasonings. 

Did you know that you could be missing an opportunity to add flavour to your dish? Throwing ingredients like onions, celery, or garlic into the slow cooker doesn't utilize them to their full potential. 

​When you build a soup on the stovetop, you have the opportunity to build and layer flavours. You start with onion for example and saute until soft, following with garlic and pepper flakes. As you slowly introduce more ingredients, you are building flavour. This opportunity is often lost on the slow cooker unless you take a few easy steps prior to combining everything in the pot.

• SAUTE YOUR MIREPOIX FIRST - Sauteing up your onions, garlic, pepper flakes, celery etc prior to adding them to the pot will bring out a lot of their flavour. This flavour will then contribute to the overall flavour of your dish! 
• BLOOM SPICES - Bloom your spices on the stovetop a few minutes before adding them. This gives them the opportunity to become toasty and fragrant before being added. 
• ADD DRIED HERBS FIRST & FRESH HERBS TO FINISH - Adding fresh herbs in the beginning of the cooking process is fine but they lose their freshness and vibrancy long before your food is ready. Add your dried herbs in the beginning and finish with your fresh herbs for a better tasting dish.

Simple steps that will enhance your slow cooker meals and make everything taste that much better!


HAPPY VEG