Italian Vegetable Soup

This vegetable soup is a great recipe for cleaning out the fridge. You can add all kinds of veggies here and have it tasting delicious. The fresh tomatoes and herbs make this a delightful summer treat, and is packed with vegetables to ensure it’s vitamins and minerals are proliferating. We love to use what we can find organic. Originally I wanted to use zucchini, but realized there was none available that is local or organic since it is not quite in season. Instead I opted for adding fresh string beans and local spinach, both giving the green I was hoping for. Though I hoped for local roma tomatoes, I opted for the larger ones for the same reason. These fresh heirloom tomatoes ended up giving it a nice tang. When you cook with organic and local ingredients, it is easy to be happy with the finished product. The flavor is fresher when you have hand picked the herbs from right outside your door. Go to your local farmers market and see what they have available. I’m sure you’ll be able to find plenty of ingredients to add or substitute to make it to your liking. And you will see, it will be the best vegetable soup you have had in months. Bonus: add a dollop of sour cream to your bowl for a creamy version!

Enjoy!

What You’ll Need:

• 6 c chicken/vegetable broth
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 leek, rinsed thoroughly and chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 c. string beans, cut into thirds
• 4 small turnips, chopped
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 roma tomatoes, or 1 large heirloom (choose whatever is local or organic), cut into cubes
• 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 can (16 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed
• 2 T butter for sautéing
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• About 1 T sea salt, or to taste
• 1 T fresh parsley
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• dash of cayenne, optional
• fresh chopped basil to top

• sour cream or Parmesan for topping, optional

What to Do:

1. In your stock pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and sweat your onions and leeks. Add garlic and mix.
2. Add carrots, string beans, turnips, celery and sauté until slightly soft. Add tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, pepper and fresh parsley. Cook for a few minutes.
3. Pour in your broth and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until all vegetables are cooked and soup is boiling. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
4. Add your spinach and cannellini beans and cook for another 10 minutes or until spinach has wilted.
5. Serve topped with fresh basil and a dollop of sour cream or cheese if desired.

Note: We also cooked spicy sausage on the side, and it was the perfect pair. 

Serves 4-6