Friday, January 11, 2013

Bean and Vegetable Soup

Is it snowing there? It is snowing here to beat the band. Like God is shaking out His feather pillows. The world is covered in a blanket of white.
How many clichés can I think of?

But there's nothing like cold and snow to make soup seem appealing, and this is one of my favorite soup recipes. It's even Vegan (I think) and I love meat, so you know it's gotta be good if I even like it without meat. And, as all my recipes, it is highly customizable. If you don't have any celery, but you have leeks - add them! You want it to be Italian, add some basil, tomato sauce, and noodles! You hate broccoli? Who doesn't? Skip it! Add a handful of spinach! Add some chopped up brussel sprouts! Throw in some frozen peas or green beans! Mix this baby up!
Anyway, here's a recipe (adapted from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Cookbook):



Bean and Vegetable Soup:

1 medium Onion
4 Cloves Garlic
2 Carrots
2 stalks Celery
2 cups chopped Red Potatoes 
1 (very-small) head Cauliflower or Broccoli (*NOTE: I added 1 normal-sized head of broccoli this time, and Travis complained that it tasted and smelled like "Broccoli Soup" - it's powerful stuff.)
2 medium Tomatoes (OR - 1 can diced / plum tomatoes, drained)
6 cups Vegetable Broth (or whatever you have on hand - Chicken, beef, water...)
1 can (drained and rinsed) Beans (I've used Black-Eyed Peas and Great Northern Beans to great success)
Small handful of whatever chopped fresh herbs you have (this time, I only had parsley and it tasted great.)

Ready for how easy this is?

1. Chop up all your veggies. Sautee them all (except tomatoes, frozen veg and spinach - if you're adding it) in a glob of butter or a splash of olive oil, with salt, pepper, and the herbs and seasonings of your choice.

2. Add your broth and beans to the veggies. Bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

3. Add remaining ingredients (spinach, tomatoes, etc), and heat through.

4. Eat that delicious stuff with some homemade bread and cheese.

5. Feel warm and happy inside.

You're welcome.


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3 comments:

Aimee said...

looks delicious. thanks for sharing. i can't believe how snowy it is! i'm so ready for a little warmth.

Zaralex said...

Love the new banner!

And I really like broccoli. lol

Lindsey said...

That soup look so delicious! ...and it is way to cold outside! I want to make it in my kitchen asap!