Winter Vegetable Soup

Okay, I almost followed this recipe to a "T" from epicurious.com.  It is that time of year folks, winter.  Pretty much all I want to eat during winter is soup or stew.  I get this way because there is just something so satisfying about having a nice hot bowl of something to fill your stomach when it's cold and windy.  I have some great recipes from home for soup that I can't wait to share; but first, a simple yet hearty soup to start us off right!  This is not the prettiest soup; but, man, is it sure good!

*This is vegetarian/vegan because there is no dairy or meat product in it.*

Here is the original recipe:
Winter Vegetable Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 pound sweet potato, peeled and cubed (1/2 inch)
1/2 pound Yukon Gold or boiling potatoes (russet), peeled and cubed (1/2 inch)
2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

*If you do not want to make this vegetarian, you can use the chicken stalk and add about 2 cups of shredded or chopped up chicken!*

 
The only modifications that I made were as follows:

 

- I first doubled the recipe

- I cut up one box of white mushrooms and added it to the soup

- Instead of peas, I used 1 1/2cups broccoli (frozen)

- I added about two Tablespoons of minced garlic

- I substituted basil for dill

You will want to start by cooking the onions and bay leaves in the oil in a heavy, large pot over medium heat until the onions are soft.  Then add the celery, garlic and carrots and cook for about another 3-5 minutes.  Then you are going to add the tomato paste and basil and cook for about another minute.  Add the mushrooms, potatoes, broth, water and 1 tsp of black pepper.  Simmer this until the potatoes are tender (about 20-25 minutes).

Now you have two choices.  You could leave the soup as it is.  OR  If you have a hand blender that you can submerge into the soup, you can puree so that SOME not all of the soup is smooth. (*This adds great texture*).  You could also just remove 1 cup of the soup and puree it in your blender.  (*If you do this, BE CAREFUL.  The liquid is hot, don't splash it on yourself*) 

After you make your choice, THEN you are going to add the frozen broccoli and simmer the soup until it is cooked through (about 5 minutes).

This is so quick and easy!  It makes a lot!  It's a great recipe!

Then you can serve!  I recommend this with crusty bread!  It is really tastey with a dash or two of hot sauce, black pepper, or more basil.  You can also (if you can have dairy) garnish this with a bit of sour cream. 

 I hope yours turns out great as well!  Let me know!


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