This bright and bold vegetable soup is a healthy meal that's great for cold wintery days and cool autumnal days. It's an easy flexible soup to use up whatever vegetables that you may have on hand or to reacquaint yourself with some classics. An abundant bowl with a wee bit of spiciness for added warmth.
Vegetable Soup
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Serves 6 to 8
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 carrot, diced
1 small - medium sweet potato, diced
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cans (2 x 398 ml) fire roasted diced tomatoes
3 teaspoons Scarborough Fair or Herbs de Provence or 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary and 1 tablespoon dried thyme - you may use fresh herbs
1/2 teaspoon crush red pepper flakes
8 cups (2 x 946 ml) low sodium vegetable broth
3 bay leaves
1 small pint (284 g) cherry tomatoes
1 cup green beans, fresh or frozen, chopped
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 can (398 ml) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups chopped kale, fresh or frozen
Prep or chop vegetables according to recipe. Set them aside.
Using a large Dutch Oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the diced carrot and diced sweet potato and crushed garlic, stir and cook 2 minutes more.
Add the canned tomatoes, Scarborough Fair herb seasoning, or whichever seasoning and herbs you are using, and the red pepper flakes. Stir in the broth and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to a simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes.
Add and stir in the cherry tomatoes, chopped green beans, diced zucchini, and chickpeas. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the green beans are tender.
Stir in the white wine vinegar, then add the chopped kale and cook for 5 minutes more or until the kale is soft and wilted. Season according to your taste. Serve.
