Beef and Barley Soup

How to make Amish Snow Day Soup in a slow cooker:

Step 1: Combine and slow cook vegetables: Combine 4 cups corn kernels, 1 diced onion, 3 diced potatoes, 2 diced carrots, and 3 diced celery stalks in your slow cooker. Pour in 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth and stir well.1 Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the vegetables are tender.

Step 2: Partially blend the soup: After the cooking time, use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup. Blend just enough to give it a creamy consistency, but still leave some of the corn and vegetable pieces intact for consistency.

Step 3: Heat the dairy: Heat 2 cups of milk and 1 cup of whipping cream in a separate saucepan over medium heat until the mixture is hot but not boiling.

Step 4: Finish and Season: Add the hot milk and cream mixture to the slow cooker and stir well. Season with 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, salt, and pepper to taste.

Step 5: Simmer to blend flavors: Let the chowder simmer (keep the slow cooker on LOW or just WARM) for another 15–20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Step 6: Serve: Serve the soup hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.