VEGETABLE SOUP – COLD WEATHER FOOD

Cold Winter Weather always makes me want something hot and hearty – today it is Vegetable Soup.  When I was teaching High School Culinary Arts, one of the things I taught my students was to make ‘Clean Out the Refrigerator Vegetable Soup.  Now, that may not sound too great, but how many times have you had small amounts of many Vegetables that you really did not know what to do with?  Making Vegetable Soup is the best way to use up these odds and ends and at the same nourish your family and keep them warm.  So, here we go with ‘CLEAN OUT THE REFRIGERATOR VEGETABLE SOUP’.

The Vegetables that I had on hand were  Celery, Carrots, Red Cabbage, and Onions.  Small amounts of Red Cabbage or any other color for that matter are good for Vegetable Soup.  You do not want to use too much or it will overpower the other Vegetables in your soup.

Celery and Carrots

Red Cabbage

The Vegetables that I purchased for the Soup were Golden Beets and Mushrooms.

Golden Beets

Mushrooms and Onions

The Golden Beets are pictured before being peeled and the Onions are pictured with the

Mushrooms.  I also used Frozen Peas, Crushed Tomatoes and Turkey Broth.

The Turkey Broth was my hold-over from Thanksgiving.  It is a waste to just throw out the carcass because there is always some pieces of meat clinging to it and the bones themselves do provide some flavor and of course gelatin.  To make the Broth, I placed the Turkey Carcass in my largest pot along with  Onion, Celery, Carrots, Bay Leaves, Peppercorns and Parsley.  Just cover it all with water, place a lid on the pot (offset) and bring to a boil.  Once it comes to a boil, remove the lid and turn the flame down to a simmer and just let it cook until the liquid has cooked down to at least half.  Even more is better.  Shut off the flame, let it cool to room temperature and then pour through a colander into a clean container.  Refrigerate if you are going to use within a day or two or freeze until you are ready to use it.

Before starting to cook the Soup, wash and towel dry your Vegetables and then prep them.

• Onions -peel and dice
• Celery – remove any loose strings and then cut into 1/4 to 1/2″ thickness.
• Mushrooms –  Cut up your cleaned and dry Mushrooms (how you cut them depends on the size and type tht you have.  Mine were small brown Crimini so I mostly quartered them. Cabbage – cut into pieces about 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick and about 3/4″ long.Beets – Peel and then quarter and then slice the quarters into smaller pieces.  (The beets are actually easier to peel if they are par-boiled first or microwaved.  If you do par-boil them, Scrub them clean first and then save the water to add to the soup.
• Carrots – either scrub or peel and then slice in half lengthwise and then cross-wise into about 1/4 to 1/2″ pieces depending on how small you want them or on how large your carrots are.  Generally, the smaller carrots have more flavor and are sweeter.  The larger ones are older and tend to lose flavor as they age – also they are less tender

To cook, start with the Onion -by sautéing in a small amount of Olive Oil. Add the Mushrooms to the Onions and add a little Salt.  The Salt not only seasons them but helps them to release their water and cook down faster.  Add the Cabbage and Celery and then the Carrots and Beets. Adding some dried Basil (fresh is best, but mince and add at the end so the flavor is not lost) After all the Vegetables are in the Pot, add your cooking liquid and a couple of Bay Leaves (dried or fresh – remove them before serving).  You can also add some garlic to the vegetables while they are sauteing, but this would be a personal choice.  Not everyone likes garlic.  After the soup has cooked for a while, taste for seasoning and add more Salt and some freshly ground Pepper.  Oregano is also good added to Vegetable Soup.  If you are using canned Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce  or Crushed Tomatoes, add it now and then thoroughly mix in.  If desired, you can add some tiny pasta at the end or cook it first and then add.  Add the frozen peas and or corn if desired at the very end.  They need only minutes to cook.

Vegies before Broth Added

Crushed Tomatoes

Crushed Tomatoes added

The soup does not need to cook for a lengthy time – one hour is more than enough – 30 minutes will probably suffice.  This soup can be eaten right away or you can cool it and refrigerate it – the flavors will intensify if held overnight in the refrigerator.

Serve and enjoy – this will easily make a delicious and hearty one-dish meal.  Serve with Garlic Bread or Croustades.