I awoke this morning to 48 degree temps & knew immediately what I wanted to make for dinner! Tomato Veggie soup! Then the school called & Bubba needed to come home-he's sick as you know. So, what's better than soup to make you feel better?! Especially one loaded with nutrients! It also got up to 64 degrees today-not exactly soup weather, but thankfully the house is cooler than the outside temps.
If you have a dog, don't you love how they lay with the kids when they're sick? So sweet.
There's no Menu Plan this week-the holiday threw me off & my fridge is kind of full, so I wanted to eat through all of that before buying new groceries. But tonight, I'm so excited to share with you my 30 Minute Tomato Vegetable Soup. I mean it-its really 30 minutes-not like a Rachael Ray meal, where she says it takes 30 minutes and in reality its closer to 45 or an hour! Of course, if she saw this 'recipe' she might very well tell me to go you know what myself since I'm not really cooking.
Anyway, I came up with this soup last year. I was craving veggies-we had just got back from Vermont & the meals there weren't always the healthiest-my SIL kind of lives in the middle of nowhere.-which is not a bad thing. So I knew I wanted a hot, warming soup loaded with veggies. But the base. Hmm. What should the base be? Then it hit me! V8 juice
. I don't know about you, but I LOVE V8! Someday, they'll have organic V8, I hope! Trader Joe's sells their own version that's good, too, but this is from Giant Eagle. It gives this soup great flavor & its all veggies too! I can't even imagine the nutritional value of this meal! Its also an opportunity to get in a bunch of veggies in that you normally might not have.
Okra, anyone?
Anyway, I came up with this soup last year. I was craving veggies-we had just got back from Vermont & the meals there weren't always the healthiest-my SIL kind of lives in the middle of nowhere.-which is not a bad thing. So I knew I wanted a hot, warming soup loaded with veggies. But the base. Hmm. What should the base be? Then it hit me! V8 juice
. I don't know about you, but I LOVE V8! Someday, they'll have organic V8, I hope! Trader Joe's sells their own version that's good, too, but this is from Giant Eagle. It gives this soup great flavor & its all veggies too! I can't even imagine the nutritional value of this meal! Its also an opportunity to get in a bunch of veggies in that you normally might not have.Okra, anyone?
Now, I gotta warn ya, this makes a huge amount of soup. I actually have to make it in 2 separate pots to start off-I guess my pots aren't big enough. So, let's start. Over medium heat, empty the whole bottle of V8 into a big pot (or 2), fill the bottle with water, shake & add that too. Stir well to combine.
Now here's where the 30 minutes come in. I buy all frozen chopped veggies. I do not apologize for taking this shortcut! I have a life outside of my kitchen, ya know. And frozen veggies are just as nutritious, maybe more so, as fresh. And, the fact that most of them I buy are organic is a big bonus for me!
[Also, make sure the vegetable is the only ingredient in the package.]
The only thing I usually have to chop is an onion, but I even bought cute little frozen pearl onions. If you wanted to make this a more filling soup, you could add some potatoes, but I don't like them in mine. I also had some bok choy left in the fridge so I chopped that up quickly and added it as well. [By the way-Bok choy contains glucosinolates. These compounds have been reported to prevent cancer in small doses, but are toxic to humans in large doses.] Good to know!
[Also, make sure the vegetable is the only ingredient in the package.]
The only thing I usually have to chop is an onion, but I even bought cute little frozen pearl onions. If you wanted to make this a more filling soup, you could add some potatoes, but I don't like them in mine. I also had some bok choy left in the fridge so I chopped that up quickly and added it as well. [By the way-Bok choy contains glucosinolates. These compounds have been reported to prevent cancer in small doses, but are toxic to humans in large doses.] Good to know!
After all the veggies are in, you may need a little more water. Stir everything together & add any seasonings you like. I added garlic powder, Adobe seasoning, S&P, tarragon, dill & the Fox Point Seasoning I got at Penzeys. Do not be stingy-this is a huge batch, make sure you season it enough! I also had a rind of Parmesan left in the freezer that I threw in to melt in. Its adds tremendous flavor.
Now, just cover & let simmer away for about 20-25 more minutes.
You can add just about anything else to this soup. Rice, noodles, beans. Whatever. Make it however you like. This isn't a recipe, its a base idea!
I eat my soup with bread. Mmmm, bread dripping with butter. Brian likes French rolls baked up and slathered in butter & so do I. I also like some finely grated Parmesan over the top as well.
Bok Choy
Lima Beans
Edamame
Okra
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Onions
Garlic (powder)
Asparagus
Brussels Sprouts
Carrots
Italian Green Beans
Addtionally from the V8 juice:
Tomatoes
Celery
Beets
Lettuce & Watercress
Spinach
Who loves ya, Baby?!
