Good Morning everyone! How are you today and HAPPY LABOR DAY to you all!!! Yep…even on Labor Day the day of BBQ I am offering a purely vegetarian recipe! Every Day is veggie day in my home and I am hoping you give it a try at least once a week…It is a good thing!
Oh…have to tell you all that Dondi at DondaLee’s is having a give away for The Cottage Market…hop on over and check it out!
This recipe is a bit more complex but trust me…it is worth it. One thing I will guarantee is that this precious pots keeps on giving (ideas below) Summer is winding down and vegetables are just in Bounty everywhere, the bushels are starting to show themselves at the Farmer’s Markets…it is a joyous time! So…here is a recipe that you can utilize all of that veggie goodness. You are going to adore this yummy soup and remember one thing…there are NO RULES…whatever you love…put it in there! One thing though, don’t use green peppers, the take over the flavor. So get out your chopping board, soak those beans, bring out your biggest pot and have some fun. This freezes like a charm!!! ENJOY
Harvest Soup!
Ingredients:
A bag of mixed beans (the one that i purchased had 11 different varieties in it so my count goes with that one : ) the weight is 1 pound
bouquet of garni:
a small sprig of thyme
a small sprig of rosemary
1 bay leaf
2 of your favorite hot chilli’s
a nice cluster of parsley
6 – 10 basil leaves
10 pepper corns
(whatever other seasonings you love)
6 nice size carrots cubed
1 sweet potato cubed
1 cup of cubed butternut squash
4 yukon gold potatoes or potatoes of your choice
1 small parsnip cubed
3 green zucchinis cubed
3 yellow zucchinis cubed
1/2 pound of green string beans with ends snipped and then slice in half or thirds
3 ears of fresh corn
3 stalks of celery
1 head of broccoli clean and separated into little florets
2 fresh tomatoes cubed
1/4 cups of sundried tomatoes shopped
6 tomatillos chopped
2 cups of green peas (fresh and shelled or frozen is great)
8 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
2 full scallion clusters thinly sliced green and whites
2 cups of fresh spinach leaves cleaned chopped and lightly packed
1 cup of sliced mushrooms of choice or a variety!
3 boxes of organic vegetable broth (salted or unsalted…you know which you like)
or you can try a great product that I can personally recommend…Marigold Boullion I will tell you it doesn’t get much better in pure natural flavor and it is used in the finest of restaurants!
salt & pepper
olive oil
Add any other of your favorite vegetables and always feel free to add more broth and seasoning! Have fun with the ingredients and tailor them to your likes…this soup won’t miss any of the above and will welcome any additions! Go with your taste buds! Just stay away from INTENSE flavors such as green peppers just because they will over power all those yummy flavors.
Take your ingredients for the bouquet of garni and place in a clean piece of white cheese cloth and tie with white thread…BUT if you happen to have some clean muslin bags (you know the kind with the little draw string) these make PERFECT homes for bouquets of garni, I can’t tell you how simple they make your life. They are inexpensive and great to have on hand. I found this seller on etsy to be really inexpensive and she carries a variety pack which is really great.
First thing to do is to place your nicely washed and soaked beans into a large soup pot, cover them with 12 cups of lightly salted water, bring to a boil, then simmer covered for about 2 hours. Drain but don’t worry about leaving some liquid, your broth will welcome it!
While the beans are cooking it is time to prepare your vegetables. Chop the zucchinis, tomatoes, and potatoes. Saute 4 cloves of garlic and a handful of scallions then add the potatoes and get them with a little hit of brown on then, then add the zucchinis and then the tomatoes. Sauteing them so they have an extra burst of flavor, remember to season as you go with salt and pepper.
Now do the same for the zucchini, hot chillis, broccoli, mushrooms and tomatillos.
Add all of the three – 4 boxes of stock (or equivalent in marigold) to the bean pot and the bouquet of garni, bring to a boil, salt and pepper and now add all of the uncooked chopped veggies and stir. Bring to a boil, stir and then slowly simmer for 1 hour. About 1 hour in, add the sauteed veggies and cook for another 1 – 1 1/2 hours. Drop by the pot about twice an hour to give it a good stir and to taste the broth and see if it needs a little love from some freshly cracked pepper or some coarse salt.
Your soup is now ready to eat as is or if you would like some additives…here are some ideas:
Add your favorite small pasta, sprinkle with your favorite grated cheese and let me tell you it is great with other kinds of cheese (an extra sharp cheddar or extra sharp provolone…well they are awesome). For some major added flavor, make a quick pesto mix and put a dollop on top and swirl through, it is a taste sensation that you will love. I personally love a traditional basil pesto or a sundried tomato pesto for this soup. Fry up some tiny cubes of potatoes till crisp and top the soup with them. Homemade croutons made with your favorite left over bread is a fabulous choice. Roasted garlic pureed with some olive oil. Fresh herbs. Adding more protein is great also, some pan fried tofu cubes, sauteed veggie mince or even a freshly poached egg on the top adds that extra kick. I think you get the picture!
We talk about how you can put your own signature on all the dishes you make, well this recipe is a blank palette. You can add just about any veggie you enjoy and that goes the other way, you can remove any that you do not enjoy. You can not do anything wrong to this soup, you just can’t. One thing I will guarantee you is that you are going to have a very tasty meal that you can use throughout the week to create different meals so no one gets bored. Another great way to utilize the left over is to freeze this soup for future enjoyment, remember one thing though…don’t freeze with the pasta in the soup. Make fresh pasta at the time of serving, if you do freeze with the pasta, all your liquid will be gone. I hope you have tons of fun with this, it is worth the time you put into it, really it is. If you want to cut the ingredients in half it works perfectly that way too, remember you have a ton of lead way. HAVE FUN!!!!! Remember to serve it up on a pretty plate!
If you have some suggestions to share or experiences to talk about please come and comment. I would love to hear from you.
Andrea that Soup looks REALLY good…I LOVE soups and Always look forward to the Soup season…We just had Minastrone last night and boy did it hit the Spot… : ) I just saw that you posted you bought the letter “H” your daughter is sure to love it…I have Two of Jennifer’s pieces and Love them…I actually want to get a couple more that I have been eye balling..: )
Well have a wonderful week…