Everything but the Kitchen Sink!
Bobby and Jilly are now blessed with 3 (!) grand-babies just in the past month, so the household is busy trying to keep up with some meals to the parents. When babies come along and the parents are tired, nothing provides a quick and nutritious meal faster or easier than a good bowl of home-made soup. This one is loaded with Vitamin L that will bring back some energy to new parents.
Start with a stock pot and combine 1 c. dried veggie soup mix (beans, peas, barley) with ~ 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then allow to simmer for an hour to soften the grains and beans.
In the meantime, prepare a number of veggies – whatever your preference or may have on hand.
For this recipe, Jilly combined the following:
4-5 carrots, diced
1 medium turnip, cut small so that it cooks a little faster
2 c. frozen corn
1 package frozen diced sweet potatoes
3-4 celery stalks and leaves
1 large white onion, diced
Left over frozen mushrooms and slices of tomato
In a large stock pot, sauté 3-4 Tbsp. good quality olive oil, garlic, onion and celery for a few minutes, then add the veggies and sauté just a few minutes more.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add 2 cans diced tomatoes, 2 cans white kidney beans (drained and rinsed), and 2 litres of no-salt vegetable broth. Allow everything to come to a boil, then simmer for 30 – 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook till veggies are just done.
Add ½ package kale, then stir in seasonings: parsley, fresh rosemary, and thyme to suit your taste. You can also add a good shaking of chili flakes or ½ tsp. chili powder, if you want to “hot” it up a little.
Serve with hearty slices of rye or pumpernickel bread. This recipe can also easily be frozen in containers. This will make ~ 30 servings.
This soup can also easily be adapted to include leftover meat, such as chicken or diced Italian sausage. If using chicken, add some fresh sage. If using sausage, add 1-2 tsp. Italian herbs (oregano, basil, marjoram).
From Jilly’s kitchen to yours! Enjoy!