Crock Pot Veggie Stew

I recently moved across America to the great state of Colorado! That explains my lack of posts for a while. However, since my new place has an oven, my repertoire has quadrupled, and thus I intend to make up for it! So this was inspired by a trip to a local farmer's market. There was so much delicious produce, to be had super cheaply! Then a few days later, I needed to do something with the veggies I hadn't eaten yet. As many cooks know, fresh is best but it also spoils quickest. Another complication I will be dealing with this year is my first year of doctoral classes and research, so I will be gone the majority of the day, 6am - 6pm most days. So you will likely see a lot of make-ahead or Crock Pot meals!

Ingredients:

1 large carrot, diced

1 large onion, diced

3 roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 head cabbage, shredded

3-4 stalks celery, diced

2 potatoes, diced

1/3 of a red, orange & yellow bell pepper (or 1 of any color) diced

2 small heads broccoli, cut into small florets

4-5 green onions, diced

3 cups chicken stock or 3 bouillon cubes + water

Turmeric, chipotle chili pepper, paprika, black pepper, garlic, salt

I don't add amounts for the spices because it depends on how hot you like it. I found out after the fact that I added a *bit* too much chipotle pepper, because man did this soup clear the sinuses! I need to make it again mid-winter...

 Step 1: This is the only work-intensive step. Dice all the veggies and layer in the Crock Pot.

 Step 2: Add spices and broth. If you're a strict vegetarian or vegan, use vegetable broth or plain water instead of the chicken stock.

Step 3: Cook on low at least 4 hours up to 12 hours. The longer it cooks the softer the vegetables will get, but the more flavors will come out and mingle. My boyfriend is a carnivore and insisted on adding shredded chicken before he would eat it. But he did say it was delicious. =)
You can add really any vegetable you have on hand that you need to use up. If you don't want to take the time to dice everything, you can buy pre-cut from a salad bar or use frozen vegetables and just throw them in! Couldn't be easier. Plus it makes quite a bit, so you have several meals for very cheap, and likely enough to freeze for later meals.