my Vegetable Soup

"Wow, you hit a home run with this one!"  Okay, so recipe accolades from the husband might be slightly biased, but I will take them any way!  

After Thanksgiving turkey and dressing, I was craving Mexican.  I was also craving lots of vegetables.  This soup was born!  This is inspired by some of the other soups and sauces I have made in the last year.  I created the broth for the soup from scratch and then added my vegetables!  It really is a winner, even the kids ate it!

I couldn't resist this picture...I had just gotten out some of our Christmas decor and the blender looked like a nice blend of red and green Christmas yumminess!

For the broth:

- about 12 cherry tomatoes, or 5-6 plum tomatoes

- 1 poblano pepper, veins and seeds removed (keep flavor remove heat)

- 1/2 of white onion

- 5 garlic cloves

- 14 oz of chicken broth

- handful cilantro

Broil tomatoes, pepper, onion for 3-4 minutes, until slight char.  Place in blender with garlic, broth, and cilantro.  Puree.

Putting together soup:

- 1/2 onion, diced

- 1/4 red bell pepper, diced

- 1 jalapeno, seeds and veins removed, diced

- 2 tbsp tomato paste

- puree from above

- additional 28 oz chicken broth

- 1 potato, peeled and diced

- about 10 oz frozen corn, carrots, and green bean

- 2 stalks of kale, leaves removed and chopped

- seasonings to taste, salt, pepper, cumin

Add about a tablespoon olive oil to a large pot (or pretty dutch oven!).  Add diced onions, peppers, jalapenos.  Saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes.  Add tomato paste and stir in (Rachael Ray always says heat tomato paste until fragrant.)  Add puree, broth, potato, and frozen vegetables. Add seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and allow to simmer.  Adjust seasonings as needed.  In last ten minutes add kale.  Serve as is or with quesadilla wedges or quiche or...

Change up vegetables with other fresh or frozen vegetables to suit your family's favorites.  Add beans for protein or even shredded chicken.  But, if you want a flavorful, veggie-filled soup, this one was great!  

Vegetable Cacciatore Soup

Lately a big bowl of soup with lots of different flavors has been what sounds best to me!  Can you really argue when the ingredients look this pretty?!

I also really like soups that include pasta because then it becomes more toddler friendly.  For me and Will, I serve a bowl full of soup with a spoon full of pasta in the middle.  Anna-Kate gets a bowl full of noodles with soup poured over it (as though the soup is a marinara).  AK thinks she is getting pasta and I get the soup I like!  This one is definitely getting added to my repertoire!

- 1/4 cup olive oil

- 4 medium portabello caps, or 3/4 cups mixed sliced mushrooms, sliced 1/4 in thick

- 2 tbsp thyme

- 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced into half-moons  (I used a small zucchini and a small squash)

- 1 red bell pepper, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 in thick across

- 1 cubanelle pepper, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 in thick across

- 1 red onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly slice

- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 

- 1 red chili pepper, thinly sliced, or 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

- salt and pepper

- 2 tbsp tomato paste 

- 1/2 cup white wine (optional)

- 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock

- 1 can tomatoes (I used crushed tomatoes; RR said to use San Marzano tomatoes) 32 oz

- a few leaves of basil, torn  (I didn't have, would have been great but also great without)

- 1 pound penne (or the toddler-chosen shells)

- 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano

- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped  (I didn't use...one day I will have fresh herbs at my finger tips.)

Heat the EVOO over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and brown, 10-12 minutes.  Add the thyme, zucchini, onion, garlic, peppers, salt and pepper.  Partially cover and cook for 7-8 minutes more, stirring occasionally.  Add the tomato paste and stir until fragrant.  Add the wine, if using, and reduce by half.  Add the stock and tomatoes.  Bring to a bubble; then reduce the heat to a low simmer.  Stir in the basil; reduce for 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are broken down and the sauce thickens a little.  

Cook the pasta 'til al dente.  (about one minute less than package directions)  Toss the cheese with the pasta (I also tossed with a little butter).   

Serve the soup in a shallow bowl with a scoop of noodles on top.

Thank you to Rachael Ray for another great recipe!  A healthy, vegetable-filled, pretty, delicious recipe!