Soup is a staple of the colder days of winter, warming up your loved ones and even allowing for several days of leftovers. More than just a comforting meal, slow-cooked soup requires very little prep, makes it easy to prepare on busy days.

With these easy soup recipes you can make a large batch of your favorite one in the family-sized Crock-Pot® 8-Quart Manual Slow Cooker and then have enough left over for another dinner during the week or lunch portions to take to work.

Parsnip and Butternut Squash Soup
Hearty and flavorful, this thick and creamy butternut squash soup is enough to fill up even the hungriest of people. Served with a loaf of fresh-baked and sliced bread, it's the perfect evening meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped sweet onion 
• 2 cups chopped parsnip 
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 (12-ounce) packages frozen butternut squash, thawed
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup light sour cream (optional)
• 8 teaspoons chopped fresh chives (optional)

Directions

1. Combine the sweet onion, parsnip, chopped apple, salt, pepper, water, chicken broth and butternut squash to your slow cooker.
2. Mix gently to combine.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
4. Once soup is finished, blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
5. Add in whipping cream, paprika and cumin and stir together.
6. Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream and a dash of fresh chives.

Top your butternut squash soup with fresh parsley or chives.

Ham and Split Pea Soup
Baked ham and peas make for a tasty dinner combination, but have you ever tried them in soup? The smoky flavor of ham and the natural freshness of split peas make for a winning combination in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried green split peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potatoes
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped peeled carrot
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 pounds smoked ham hocks
• 6 cups water
• 1/2 cup light sour cream

Directions

1. Add a layer of split peas to the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. On top, add potatoes, garlic cloves, onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, pepper, salt and ham hocks.
3. Gently pour water over ingredients and stir lightly.
4. Cover and cook low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours.
5. Remove ham hocks from slow cooker.
6. Shred meat from the bone and cut into small pieces.
7. Discard bone and skin and return meat to slow cooker.
8. Remove bay leaf.
9. Serve warm, with a dash of sour cream if desired.

Creamy Tortellini Soup
Cheesy tortellini are really what make this Italian-inspired soup recipe come to life. Be sure to save the leftovers because they make for the perfect lunch to bring to work the next day as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce bag) frozen cheese tortellini
• 1 bag (16 ounce) fresh spinach
• 1 can (10.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic pepper
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Add tortellini, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and chicken broth to your slow cooker.
2. Cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes and add to slow cooker.
3. Add cumin, oregano, garlic pepper, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
5. Serve warm.

Shake the winter chill with this homemade tortellini soup.

Due to the slow ramp up, and even heating of a slow cooker, recipes featured on this site can be cooked in a range of slow cooker sizes. Recipes can be increased or decreased by one quart size per the cooking instructions. For smaller sauces and dips that calls for 3 quarts or less, it is not recommended to alter the unit size. Crock-Pot® is a registered trademark and should not be used generically when referring to a 'slow cooker' within the recipes.

Sunbeam Products, Inc. d/b/a Jarden Consumer Solutions has not tested these recipes and is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe. You may not achieve the results desired due to variations in ingredients, cooking temperatures, cooking times, typos, errors, omissions, or individual cooking abilities. Please always use your best judgment when cooking with raw ingredients such as eggs, chicken or fish.