Stacey Lamothe: Designs & Creativity

 

Sometimes there’s nothing as comforting on a cold day as walking into a warm house with good smells radiating from the kitchen. To honor this I bought myself a new soup pot. The one I have been using was from 1985!!! It was part of a set I bought at Sears (!!)  Most of the Silverstone coating was scratched off. It had put in 27 years of service and wanted (yes really, it spoke to me) to be retired.  The new pot is cast iron and made in France. Not only is it beautiful but it makes me smile every time l see the chicken on the lid. Here is one of many pots of veggie soup that will grace our table this cold winter.

 

Here is my basic veggie soup recipe:

1 onion, diced                       1 can diced tomatoes

1 carrot, chopped                1/2 head cabbage, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped       1-2 Tbs tomato paste

2-3 zucchini, sliced             3-4 C broth (any will work. I use Miso or chicken stock most frequently)

8oz sl mushrooms               Herbs: basil & thyme,  Salt & Pepper to taste

1 Bell Pepper, diced           3-4 C broth (any will work. I use Miso or chicken stock most frequently)

–Sautee the onions carrots & celery in a bit of olive oil until softened.

–Add the bell pepper, zucchini & mushrooms; sauté until all are softened.

–Add tomatoes and broth bring to boil, then lower and simmer covered 5-10 minutes.

–Stir in the tomato paste, seasonings, salt & pepper.

–Blend with hand Braun or put 1/2 the soup veggies in a blender purée. Make sure you leave 1/2 -1/3 of the soup chunky.

–Add the puree back to the pot stirring  in the cabbage and bring to boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer until the cabbage is tender (10-20 min)

You can add a variety of other veggies to this soup. If you don’t have fresh, use frozen veggies. Slice up some sausage or left over chicken.  Add a can of kidney (or any) beans, Top with parmesan, feta or gorgonzola cheese. It’s really hard to go wrong this one!