Winter Soup

Time for Winter Soup

Seeing as we have 12” of snow on the ground now and the fact that another snow fall consisting of three inches is referred to (by me) as a ‘flurry,’ I thought it was time for some nourishing Winter Soup.

I take recipes as suggestions so this is an adaptation of North Pole Soup, which came to me via my Mom who lives in (of all places), Tucson, Arizona.  

Winter Soup

Note: all ingredients are organic whenever possible and amounts are listed as ‘guidelines.’

4 – 5 medium sized red potatoes, scrubbed clean, sliced

1 red onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 stalks celery, sliced crosswise

2 large carrots, sliced crosswise

5 cups water

2 cubes vegetable bouillon

1 tsp powdered dried mustard seed

1 tsp dried basil

Salt to taste

1 14oz. can crushed tomatoes ( I used crushed fire roasted)

1 14oz. can red kidney beans (any beans will do – garbanzos, cannellini)

1 – 2 Tblsp. olive oil or coconut oil

Saute onions in oil for 5 min over medium-low heat, add garlic, carrots and celery and sauté another 5 – 10 min. until soft. Slice potatoes (I use my handy food processor  for slicing and dicing) and place in water in a large soup pan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and keep at a simmer. Add salt, bouillon, basil and dried mustard, crushed tomatoes and beans.  Add your sautéed veggies to the soup pot and let simmer for at least 30 min.  This soup is super-fast to make, especially if you have a food processor.  It freezes really well too, but remember no freezing in plastic. Keep it healthy and use just Pyrex.

Enjoy!  Like all soups, this is even better the next day.

My goal in preparing food for myself and my family is that it is healthy, delicious AND beautiful (in a down-home sort of way). I don’t measure except with my eyeballs and my taste buds.  Also, what I love about soups is that you can adjust the amounts of any ingredients to your taste, needs, and what is available in the pantry.  Got guests coming and need more soup?  The solution is, as my Brazilian friend Heloisa says, ‘Add water to the beans!’

When it looks like this outside:  

its time for Winter Soup!

xo

Kristen