In early spring, when the weather can swing from sultry to snowy in a matter of hours, I get a taste for something light but warming. Recently, a chunky ham and rice soup hit the spot.
The original recipe is from Betty Crocker’s Slow Cooker, a soft-cover supermarket magazine from 2007. the kind of thing you pick up in the check-out line. I tweaked it based on what was in the cabinet, swapping the recipe’s wild rice for arborio, and bumped up the vegetable content with extra carrots and the addition of green peas. Nothing says spring like peas. I also tripled the parsley; I love the flavor and had no plans for the rest of the bunch.
To keep it light, I opted for skim milk instead of half and half. But the next time I make this soup, I’ll probably try a roux to thicken it up a little bit. I’ve never used a roux in a slow cooker, but from what I’ve read, it can be added right along with the other ingredients.
The cookbook promises a 15-minute prep time. But between wandering around the kitchen pulling ingredients together and peeling and cutting the carrots, it took me a little longer.
Like most soups, this one tasted great with fresh bread and a spinach salad.
The recipe that follows is as I modified it.
Ingredients
2 cups diced cooked ham
1 1/2 cups julienne carrots
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
3/4 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) reduced-sodium cream of celery soup
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups water
1 cup milk
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Steps
1. Grease a three- or four-quart slow cooker. Mix in all ingredients except peas and parsley.
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 7 or 8 hours.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients. Increase heat setting to high. Cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes longer or until hot.
Aimee Caruso can be reached at acaruso@vnews.com or 603-727-3210.