Hominy Soup and Pinto Bean Soup

Pictured above is the hominy soup. I made it for a work gathering, and everyone loved it. Everytime I use my crockpot, I think I should really use it more. Note: Most hominy soup recipes call for a little spice. Since I was making this for a work event, I omitted anything hot. You can spice it up with red pepper flakes or hot peppers.

Ingredients
2 Cans of White Hominy, Drained and Rinsed
1 Onion, Chopped
2 Zucchini, Chopped
2 Squash, Chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
4 Cups of Vegetable Broth
2 Cups of Strained Tomatoes (I use Pomi.)
2 Cups of Chopped Tomatoes (Pomi again)
1 Teaspoon of Saffron
2 Teaspoons of Oregano
1 Teaspoon of Thyme
1 Teaspoon of Cumin
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions
Saute the onions 2-3 minutes. Add in the zucchini and squash and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute. Remove from heat.
Place all of the ingredients in a crock pot. (Easiest way is to add the broth last.) and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Pinto Bean Soup
I made the pinto bean soup almost exactly the same. I omitted the hominy (obviously) and oregano. I added pinto beans (obviously) and jalapenos and used another teaspoon of cumin. I received mixed advice about soaking the beans before hand, but after making the soup I would not soak the beans before hand. They got plenty soft in the crock pot.