Soup 101

As my friend Whitney says, all you need to start a pot of soup is an onion, garlic and some stock. She is so right. From there, it's just a matter of what produce you have on hand. I always make hearty soups with tons of vegetables that I have in the fridge. Here's my basic veggie soup recipe with some options below.

2 T olive oil
1 medium onion chopped (or 1 cup)
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced (I love garlic)
2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 zucchini, chopped
1 or 2 big handfuls of spinach, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
2 quarts chicken stock
1 pint vegetable stock
1/2 of one 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes in juice (use all the liquid and half of the tomatoes)
2 cups water
kosher salt
pepper
1 t Italian seasoning, crushed in your fingers as you sprinkle it in
freshly grated Parmesan

Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Add carrots and celery. Saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add potato, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, tomatoes with their juice, parsley, stocks, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add zucchini and spinach and simmer for one hour. Check seasoning. Sprinkle with Parmesan before serving.

• For an easy homemade soup you can use chicken stock, veggie stock or both.


• Choose from potatoes, rice, noodles, tortellini, white beans, quinoa or even corn tortillas for your starch.


• Use any combination of vegetables. I use whatever I have in the fridge. Anything goes. Just think about the density/toughness of the veggie and how long it will take to cook. That helps determine which ones go in first and which ones you can throw in toward the end. Carrots are a must for me and I always like to add some greens like parsley, spinach, chard, kale, or cabbage.


• If you have fresh herbs, use them. Oregano, thyme, basil, etc would all taste great. I use dried Italian seasoning and fresh parsley for a basic soup but you can use any mix of flavors that sound good to you. You can use cumin and coriander and throw in some jalapeno for a more Mexican soup flavor or stick with more Italian seasoning.


• Keep it as a vegetable soup or add shredded chicken for a more filling soup. You can also use ground beef, pork, or turkey or make little meatballs using any of those.


• Garnish with whatever goes with your soup - Parmesan, pesto, cheddar, sour cream, parsley, saltines.


• If you have little ones throw some of the soup in a blender, then toss it with a spiral pasta or penne to catch the sauce. Top with parmesan and you have an easy pasta dish full of veggies.

This is a great way to create a healthy dinner or just use up veggies before they go bad. I love making soup for dinner and then having leftovers for the next day or two.