| You can really bring out the flavor in vegetables by | | | | other ingredients in slow cooker recipes would. |
| adding them to slow cooker recipes. Vegetables help | | | | Squash and pumpkins produce moisture when you |
| to pad out stews and soups and the come out juicy, | | | | heat them, like mushrooms do, which makes them |
| succulent and with a very rich taste. Onions are | | | | good for crock pot cooking. |
| added to many different slow cooking recipes, as are | | | | Tomatoes and Bell Peppers |
| shallots and leeks. | | | | You can use many forms of tomatoes for your |
| Garlic is often paired with onions. Slow cooking might | | | | crock pot recipes, including tomato sauce, whole |
| increase the taste of spicy ingredients like curry | | | | tomatoes, canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Bell |
| paste and chilies but it decreases the potency of | | | | peppers are frequently used in such recipes but |
| onions and garlic, so you might need to add more if | | | | green bell peppers can become bitter if you cook |
| you are going to be slow cooking something for | | | | them for too long, so add them towards the end of |
| more than three hours. | | | | the cooking time, along with any leafy vegetables like |
| Root vegetables are nice with pot roasts, stews and | | | | cabbage or spinach. |
| soups. They take a long time to cook because of | | | | Canned and frozen vegetables are often partially |
| their density, so slow cooker recipes will normally tell | | | | cooked already so they will not need much time in |
| you to add the chopped root vegetables first and | | | | the crock pot. Drain as much liquid from canned |
| layer any meat or fish on top. Chop them into very | | | | vegetables as you can before adding them and rinse |
| small pieces for a shorter cooking time. | | | | off any excess preservatives or salt. Thaw frozen |
| Other Tasty Vegetables for Slow Cooker Recipes | | | | vegetables, at least partially, before adding them to |
| Cauliflower and broccoli are good in a slow cooker, as | | | | your slow cooker recipes. |
| are mushrooms. Shiitake mushrooms and field | | | | If you are new to making slow cooker recipes it is |
| mushrooms are strong, portobello and chestnut | | | | best to follow any recipes you choose carefully, to |
| mushrooms are mid-range in flavor, and button | | | | ensure you prepare the ingredients correctly and add |
| mushrooms are mild. Portobello mushrooms can be | | | | them to the crockpot in the right order. You can add |
| used as a meat substitute if you are cooking for | | | | extra spices if you like a fiery flavor or experiment |
| vegetarians. The amount of liquid in mushrooms | | | | with herbs and seasonings. You will find that most |
| infuses your dish with juiciness and gives it a dark | | | | vegetables do really well in the crockpot, as long as |
| color. | | | | you add the ones that do not require much cooking |
| Squash and pumpkins will stay firm in a crockpot and | | | | time near the end of cooking. |
| they do not need you to add a lot of liquid, like some | | | | |