International Cold Soups to Enjoy Before Cooler Fall Temperatures

On the one hand, summer is over. On the other hand, the peak summer temperature in Krakow, Poland is only in the 60s! One region’s autumn weather is another’s summer, so rein in those pumpkin spice cravings and keep the good times going with a few more weeks of refreshing, summery dishes—specifically, chilled soups!

Borscht

Kate Battistelli

Let’s get this cold soup train rolling with an Eastern European favorite: borscht! While there are many varieties of borscht, we are talking about the particularly creamy and cool summer version with beets and dill. This borscht recipe includes lemon juice, scallions, and yogurt or sour cream, as well, creating a bright, veggie-forward soup to enjoy as a lighter main dish served with crusty bread, or as a side.

Polish Chlodnik is similar, but tangier with the addition of radishes, kefir, and sauerkraut or pickle juice. Both the Polish recipe and this Lithuanian Šaltibarščiai recipe include cucumbers and should be served with dill and halved hard-boiled eggs. If you have an affinity for a particular Eastern European country, you can likely find another regional version of this cold beet soup to try out!

Gazpacho

Wholesomelicious

Though Lisa Simpson “made enough gazpacho for all,” it didn’t go over too well at her family barbecue. Don’t get hung up on how the citizens of Springfield perceive this chilled, tomato soup; give it a try yourself with this recipe for Real Spanish Gazpacho. Ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, onion, and green pepper are blended with oil, vinegar, spices, and also bread, to create a tangy and slightly acidic flavor.

For a fresh and summery, albeit not-so-authentic twist, try our recipe for Watermelon Gazpacho. And, if you’d like to stray even farther from the classic, you can try our recipe for Cucumber and Green Grape Gazpacho, which ditches the tomatoes entirely.

Okroshka

Natasha’s Kitchen

Let’s head back east for a different type of Russian soup, with this recipe for Okroshka. With ham, potatoes, and hard-boiled eggs, this is a hearty soup that requires no added butter or oil. Like the borscht recipes, this soup uses dill and tangy ingredients—specifically vinegar and sour cream. And, as with most recipes, you can substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream for a bit less fat and a little more protein.

Vichyssoise

Noshing with the Noland’s

Conversely, you can embrace fat, calories, and everything creamy and wonderful with a French style of cold soup, using this recipe for Julia Child’s Vichyssoise. Potatoes and leeks are made more delectable with chives and heavy cream, all blended smooth and served chilled or at room temperature. Remember to use caution when blending hot liquids; if using a standing blender, add a little soup at a time and hold a towel over the top!

Hiyashijiru

No Recipes

From the Miyazaki region of Japan, you can try this next cold soup which is served over hot rice, highlighting a mixture of temperatures and textures. This recipe for Hiyashijiru (Chilled Cucumber Sesame Soup) uses some ingredients you might be a little unfamiliar with, including dashi, shiso, and shichimi. Dashi is a Japanese stock, which can be made using this recipe or purchased in powder form at Asian grocery stores or online. Shiso is spicy, cinnamon-y plant used in Asian cooking, also more likely found at an Asian grocery store. As for the shichimi, you can make this blend of spices yourself using our recipe for Shichimi Togarashi.

Brazilian Black Bean Soup

The Kitchy Kitchen

Finally, we will head to South America for a soup which can be served hot or cold. Coconut milk makes this recipe for Brazilian Black Bean Soup creamy and delicious when blended with the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and black bean base. Garnish with cotija cheese, green onion, and cilantro, and you have a soup that works well all year long!

Indian Summer, global warming, or just a hot fall day—whatever you call it, it goes well with a chilled soup. And, if you’re still stuck on summer being over, just remember that for Icelanders, summertime means swimming in 50-degree weather. A little outside perspective, and you might just keep the chilled soups going through November!

Related Video: How to Make Chilled Avocado Soup

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8 Easy Slow Cooker Pasta Sauces to Last You All Week

Header image: Slow Cooker Beef Goulash from Chowhound

Generally speaking, pasta isn’t the sort of dish you turn to when you’re looking for a big, complicated cooking project. There are some exceptions, like lasagna. But for the most part, it’s a go-to when you want a quick dinner on the table with minimal effort. And ideally, it should require only three steps: boil water + cook pasta + add sauce.

Okay, water and pasta are simple enough, but what about the sauce? If you’re thinking about that store bought stuff from a jar, fuggedaboutit. You can do so much better than that. Instead, let’s turn to the crock pot: think of it as a sauce-making machine that will turn out homemade, slow cooked bologneses and marinaras that will make that plate of spaghetti all the more amazing to behold.

There’s a little more to it than just throwing some tomatoes all willy nilly into the crock, though. Here are seven recipes that will show you how to make slow cooker pasta sauces that come together at the push of a button.

1. Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese

Chowhound

There’s no way around it: real deal bolognese is a slow simmering affair. Your nonna might have made it by spending hours at the stove, stirring away. We like to throw it in the slow cooker and consider our work done. Get our Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese recipe.

2. Slow Cooker Beef Goulash

Chowhound

Egg noodles love a hearty and rich sauce, the kind that sticks to and coats each piece in a thick, glossy sheen. Our slow cooker beef goulash brings all the beefy, lip-sticking goodness that those twirls demand. Get our Slow Cooker Beef Goulash recipe.

3. Slow Cooker Marinara

Budget Bytes

It’s always a good idea to have some marinara stored away to use on pastas, pizzas, and more. You can easily make a large batch of this one in the slow cooker and freeze up any extras for another day. Get the recipe here.

4. Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Lauren\’s Latest

There’s nothing like a good cream sauce to satisfy any comfort food cravings. With diced peppers, a healthy dash of spice, and fork-shredded chicken, this recipe takes that hankering to the max, giving classic alfredo something of a Tex-Mex makeover. Get the recipe here.

5. Slow Cooker Beef and Cheese Pasta

The Cooking Jar

Italian-American cuisine has a few signature ingredients: red sauce, herb-based seasonings, and lots of melty mozzarella cheese. Here, they all come together in a sauce that would have its place in Little Italy. Get the recipe here.

6. Slow-Cooker Pork Shoulder With Tomatoes, Fennel, and Pasta

Serious Eats

Just because slow cooker sauces are easy doesn’t mean that they can’t be sophisticated, too. This hearty concoction with chunks of tender pork is definitely worthy of a classy dinner party or special meal with family or friends. Get the recipe here.

7. Crockpot Enchilada Pasta

Crockpot Gourmet

Although it’s got tomatoes at its heart, the beans, corn, and spices in this enchilada-inspired sauce take things in a totally unexpected direction. Break out the hot sauce for this one. Get the recipe here.

8. Spicy Turkey Lasagna

Better Homes & Gardens

Let your slow cooker do the heavy lifting while you relax with a glass of wine. Get the recipe here.

Related video: How to Hack Your Slow Cooker

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13 Appetizers You Won’t Believe Came Out of the Slow Cooker

When you have a holiday party or dinner, you can’t give every dish equal attention. Appetizers can keep your guests sated while you focus on the main course, so you don’t want to spend too much time on them. For appetizer-only parties, well, some of those hors d’oeuvres will still need to sit on the back burner while you focus on others. Enter the Crock-Pot (or other slow cooker). Typically tasked with breaking down tough cuts of meat, a slow cooker can also be your secret weapon in the appetizer realm. And we’re not talking just meatballs or chili. We mean to make something fancy-schmancy or unexpected. Next time it’s your turn to host cocktails at home, bust out the recipe for one of these appetizers.

1.French Onion Dip

Chowhound

Caramelized onions are so sweet and succulent, and you get them that way like nothing else when you put them in a Crock-Pot for seven hours. This is a crazy good dip. Get our Slow-Cooker French Onion Dip recipe.

2. Duck Confit

Chowhound

Making duck confit legs in a slow cooker is as easy as combining the melted fat and cured duck legs and walking away, only to return a few hours later to meltingly tender, flavorful meat. When it’s done, shred the meat, season it, and pile it on toasts with goat cheese and a bit of cranberry preserves for a great holiday app. Get our Slow Cooker Duck Confit recipe.

3. Slow Cooker Bacon Compote

Chowhound

A spoonful of rich, sweet, and smoky bacon compote spooned onto crostini or mini biscuits spread with goat cheese is one of our all-time favorite appetite stokers. Nothing could be simpler—you start by frying lots of bacon and draining, then cooking onions with vinegar, garlic, molasses, and coffee for 3 ½ or 4 hours, till everything is luscious and dark. Get our Slow Cooker Bacon Compote recipe.

4. Slow Cooker Bourbon Ribs

Chowhound

Small, succulent baby back ribs are fantastic appetizers, especially when there’s a couple of hours of football to watch before Thanksgiving dinner starts. Here, you start by making a barbecue sauce flavored with bacon. Add the ribs (previously dry-rubbed with an herb, salt, and sugar mix) and simmer up to 5 hours, till the meat is falling off the bones. Get our Slow Cooker Bourbon Ribs recipe.

5. Hot Wings

Chowhound

The secret to these wings—which can skew Buffalo-style, Asian, or Latin, depending on your choice of hot sauce—is crisping them in a preheated oven at the very end for a browned color, flavor, and texture. Get our Slow Cooker Hot Wings recipe.

6. Steamed Artichokes

The Kitchn

For a healthy snack or starter, try steaming whole globe artichokes in your crock pot. Serve them with red wine vinegar and olive oil for dipping. Get The Kitchn’s Slow Cooker Artichoke recipe.

7. Cocktail Meatballs

Every Little Thing Blog

Cocktail meatballs feel appropriate for any occasion, whether you’re throwing a tailgate or a highbrow holiday fete. Bonus idea: Prep and freeze, then defrost and pop ’em into the cooker when it’s go time. Get Every Little Thing Blog’s Slow Cooker Cocktail Meatballs recipe.

8. Party Mix

Chowhound

The best party mixes are evenly seasoned, and leave your fingers a little sticky with spice. Achieve this by combining a medley of bite-sized crackers with butter, spices, and liquid smoke, then heating the party mix in the crock pot until dry and warm. Get our Slow Cooker Party Mix recipe.

9. Boiled Peanuts

Add a Pinch

Boiled peanuts, a Low Country favorite, are simple to make but require a watchful eye. Eliminate the caveat here by cooking peanuts in the slow cooker instead. Get Add a Pinch’s Slow Cooker Boiled Peanuts recipe.

10. Cheese Fondue

Chowhound

Here’s a dirty secret that specialty kitchen stores don’t want you to know: You don’t need a fondue pot to make great fondue. Use a crock pot for our Alpine-inspired version; just make sure to stir the dip often. Get our Cheese Fondue recipe.

11. Cocktail Sausages

Damn Delicious

Use your slow cooker to warm toothpick-friendly cocktail sausages, and infuse them with a sweet-tangy-spicy mix of brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and Sriracha sauce. Get Damn Delicious’s Slow Cooker Cocktail Sausages recipe.

12. Roasted Garlic

Shockingly Delicious

There’s hardly a more gratifying pleasure than the simple act of smoothing a clove of roast garlic on toast; step away from the oven in favor of the lower-maintenance slow cooker instead. Get Shockingly Delicious’s Slow Cooker Roasted Garlic recipe.

13. Marinated Artichoke Hearts

Pop Sugar/America’s Test Kitchen

Marinated artichoke hearts is a classic antipasto, but with a slow cooker, the artichokes develop a deep, complex flavor that you don’t normally enjoy. Get the recipe.

Related video: How to Make a Beautiful Hummus Appetizer

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15 Quick and Easy Meals You Can Make in an Instant Pot

The Instant Pot has got to be one of the most convenient things ever invented. It’s a slow cooker, steamer, and pressure cooker all wrapped up into one little appliance. Speaking from experience, the Instant Pot does the lazy person and the college student a world of good. Because it’s such a versatile tool, you can use it for a wide variety of quick and easy meals. Whether you’re in a rush and need a quick dinner or you don’t really feel like putting that much effort into cooking, get yourself an Instant Pot and you’ll be able to whip up these tasty and effortless meals in no time!

Instant Pot Chicken Ramen

Fox and Briar

Homemade, healthy, and flavorful ramen that’s almost as quick as the packaged kind? The Instant Pot makes it possible—and makes perfectly soft-boiled ramen eggs effortless too. Get the recipe.

Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup

Pinch of Yum

While the Instant Pot does wonders for meat of all sorts, you can make great vegetarian meals with it too, like this creamy mushroom and wild rice soup. Get the recipe.

Meatball Sandwich

Aunt Bee’s Recipes

Let’s be honest–when has anybody ever had a bad meatball sandwich? It’s just unheard of. With this recipe for instant pot meatballs, now you can have a meatball sandwich within minutes. And isn’t that the American dream? Don’t worry; if you don’t want to make the meatballs from scratch, you could throw frozen meatballs in an instant pot, too! Get the recipe.

Southwestern Chicken and Rice

Meaningful Eats

As intricate as this meal sounds, it really is as simple as throwing everything into a pot and having a delicious dinner in 30 minutes. This chicken and rice recipe has the makings of a perfect dinner: it’s fast, it’s simple, and there’s cheese on top. Get the recipe.

Mac and Cheese

Six Sisters Stuff

This wouldn’t be a properly written article if mac and cheese wasn’t mentioned. The best part about this instant pot mac and cheese is that the cook time is literally five minutes. A mac and cheese dinner in five minutes? Is this even real life? Get the recipe.

Taco Pasta

Foody Schmoody

Taco pasta is my guiltiest guilty pleasure. It’s so fun to make, and it’s delicious no matter how you make it. This recipe takes taco pasta into the instant pot world. With only six ingredients and ten minutes of cooking time, you’ll be able to feed your family in the cheapest, easiest, and most delicious way possible. Get the recipe.

Baked Potato Soup

Living Locurto

Yup, the instant pot does soup, too! With fall approaching, I’m so glad to have stumbled upon this recipe for a warm, hearty, easy-to-make and, frankly, beautiful baked potato soup. Hell, I’d eat this in the dead of summer. Get the recipe.

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

Eating On A Dime

Perfect on a potato bun, this sweet shredded chicken is a simple guaranteed hit at any outdoor party! For that extra Hawaiian vibe, I highly recommend enjoying this with a piña colada. Get the recipe.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Two Peas And Their Pod

One of the instant pot’s many skills is the ability to cook rice, so why not take advantage? In 22 minutes, you’ll have a flavorful (and cheap!) new favorite side dish. Spice up any dinner with this cilantro lime rice that may as well come straight from an authentic Mexican restaurant. Get the recipe.

Beef Stew

Family Fresh Meals

The instant pot is the eighth wonder of the world for giving us crock pot-quality beef stew without the crock pot time. This recipe for beef stew is flavorful, filling, and done in 15 minutes! Get the recipe.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

The Typical Mom

When I found this recipe for a quick and flavorful oatmeal I thought, “This thing does breakfast too?!” Mornings are hectic, so this five-minute breakfast should take some stress out of the day. Plus, who doesn’t love the smell of apples and cinnamon in the morning? Get the recipe.

Chocolate Lava Cake

Paint The Kitchen Red

If you’re using the instant pot for breakfast, you may as well use it for dessert too. It’s the perfect appliance for one of those days where cake is mandatory (and we’ve all had those days). You’ll be enjoying this gooey lava cake within ten minutes. Hallelujah! Get the recipe.

Peach Cobbler

Southern Family Fun

If you aren’t a fan of chocolate cake, you could whip up a peach cobbler in 20 minutes. This recipe calls for ten minutes in the pot, ten minutes to cool, and all night to enjoy. And it’s not a real peach cobbler unless you throw a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! Get the recipe.

Dill Pickle Potato Salad

Graceful Little Honey Bee

Prep time is only ten minutes for this tasty and flavorful dill pickle potato salad. You can actually cook the eggs and potatoes together, so you’ll have a quick and easy last minute treat to bring to that barbecue. Get the recipe.

Monkey Bread

Food N Service

Monkey bread is the holy grail of sweet treats. You can eat it for dessert at a picnic, bring it to a brunch, or just go to town in your pajamas on a Friday night. This recipe takes just under a half hour and it’s supposed to serve two, but we won’t judge. Get the recipe.

Related Video: How to Clean Your Instant Pot

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These One-Pan Dinner Recipes Are Ridiculously Easy to Make

As though the glorious return of pumpkin spice, blazer weather, and technicolor foliage wasn’t enough, here’s the true reason why I celebrate the coming of fall: I can again bear to use my oven. Even with the most diligent of air conditioners, something about intentionally setting a dial in the hundreds of degrees when the air outside feels comparable to that just doesn’t leave a person super hungry for warm, roasty dishes.

Although no-bake season is drawing to a close, it’s still not quite time for the day-long cooking projects that a proper snow day inspires. There are plenty of daylight hours left to enjoy and numerous reasons to go play outside. In short, ain’t nobody got time to do dishes, even for the yummiest, most comforting cool-weather dinners.

The solution? One-pan, oven-cooked meals for the early fall. Quicker than your slow cooker, less labor-intensive than even one-pot stovetop dishes; you can pop a sheet pan in the oven and literally set it and forget it while you go jump in a pile of leaves or take a brisk, contemplative walk. With basically only one dish to wash after dinner, you’ll have time for any number of bucolic, autumnal, Instagram-worthy pursuits.

Sausage and Root Vegetable Scramble

The Girl on Bloor

How about a technicolor pile of fall produce to match your equally lively pile of leaves? Toss in some sausage rounds—maybe something from your local farm stand—for a dinner that is as photogenic as it is well-balanced. Try this Sausage and Root Vegetable Scramble recipe.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Lemon

Lauren Volo/The Kitchn

If you’re not yet hip to the glory that is caramelized fennel, take heed. This bright and savory one-bake wonder is equally simple for weeknight cooking as it is sophisticated for easy entertaining. Try this Roasted Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Lemon recipe.

Mediterranean Baked Shrimp and Veggies

The Mediterranean Kitchen

Shrimp are such a quick-cooking protein that they are not oft-imagined as an oven-based dish. Here they are added to the pan after the veggies are underway, escorted by a sauce fragrant with sumac and cumin for a result that is simply where-have-you-been-all-my-life? Try this Mediterranean Baked Shrimp and Veggies recipe.

Sheet Pan Ricotta Frittata

Mark Boughton Photography/Community Table, Parade

Yep, you don’t even need to begin this on the stovetop. Eggs, veggies, and ricotta mingle directly in the pan for a Meatless Monday meal that masterfully morphs into a morning-after breakfast sammy. Try this Sheet Pan Ricotta Frittata recipe.

Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas

Life Made Sweeter

You won’t even miss the sizzle when you realize that every aspect of these fajitas—from the meat, to the veggies, to the tortillas, to even the lime you drizzle at the end—can be prepared all in the same pan. The bounty of fall is real, y’all. Try this Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas recipe.

Thai Glazed Salmon and Vegetables

The Recipe Critic

Some seek fall colors in the form of leaves and sunsets, for my money I’ll take salmon with a sweet and salty Thai glaze for a dose of vibrant orange. Try this Thai Glazed Salmon and Vegetables recipe.

Parmesan Pork Chops with Potatoes and Asparagus

The Wholesome Dish

If you come from the Midwestern dinner-table school of protein/starch/veg like I did, you will appreciate the simple beauty of this combo, given pizzazz with just a bit of Parmesan and panko. Send a picture to your mother for extra warm and cozy vibes. Try this Parmesan Pork Chops with Potatoes and Asparagus recipe.

Related Video: How to Make Sweet and Spicy Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots

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