Look at those leaves! Feel that chilly breeze! Check out that sunshine!

You know what this means…it’s perfect crocker weather! (Especially since I usually sit at the kitchen peninsula to type away on my computer – right next to the warmth of the crockpot.)

Yesterday, we returned to Lynn Alley’s 50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker and tried our hand at her Spiced Lima Bean, Spinach, and Basmati Rice Soup. It looked easy and colorful and delicious. When we went to pick up some dried limas, we only found white limas. Whaaaaat?! White lima beans? Yep. Turns out, they are milder in flavor – more like a white bean, than a lima. (Next time, I vote GREEN limas.) But they’re still full of protein, fiber, and iron. All good things. Here’s the photo tour:

Chop 1/2 a medium onion and bathe in 1-2 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil for a vegan option). Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Place in your crocker.

Add 1 cup dried lima beans, 1/4 cup uncooked brown basmati rice, and 1 cup sliced carrots to the above.

Add the following spices: 1/2 tsp mustard seed, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (we didn’t have any), 1/2 tsp ground coriander, and (we added) some Balti seasoning from Penzeys (an Indian spice mixture).

 Next, add 6 cups of water (we added some vegetable bouillon cubes, too) and turn the crocker on low.

When it’s just about done, stir in 3oz fresh spinach, 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, and salt to taste. We didn’t have fresh dill, so I added about a tsp dried when I added the rest of the seasoning above. Lynn also recommends a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, which we skipped.

We made / would recommend a few modifications, aside from the additional Balti seasoning. First off, this recipe seemed under seasoned, so I decided it needed a little more oomph. I added some salt and additional Balti seasoning and coriander about mid-way through.

Speaking of cook time, Lynn calls for 6 hours on low, but I think about 4 – 4.5 might have been better. I wound up turning it off after about 5 hours, since the beans were already starting to break apart and the rice was done. The soup lost much of its texture, but the spinach helped. The flavors did get richer by this afternoon’s lunch, so that’s a plus!

Enjoy! And feel free to share your favorite crocker soup in the comments. : )