Big Batch Veggie Soup

Here is my version of veggie soup. [I adapted it from a recipe I found online, which I've posted the link to at the end of this.]

You'll need:
Olive oil
2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced celery
Seasonings (I suggest salt, crushed black pepper, oregano, basil, and celery salt)
Garlic
3 cans of reduced sodium chicken broth (14.5 oz each)
2 cans of diced tomatoes, with juice (14.5 oz each)
3 cups water
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups potato (small pieces)
2 cups corn
1 cup carrots
1 cup green beans
1 cup peas
1 cup lima beans
(You can do fresh or frozen veggies; no need to thaw frozen veggies first.)
Mozzarella cheese (optional)

In a large pot, put in olive oil, onion, and celery. Cook on medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Add seasonings and garlic; stir. NOTE: I tend to be an estimator with some of my cooking. I add enough olive oil that the onion and celery won't burn, which is probably 2-3 tbsps, and guestimate how much seasoning and garlic (probably about 1 tbsp garlic). I know I've added enough seasoning when I can smell it with the soup.

Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, water, and tomato paste. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Add all the vegetables. Bring this to a rolling boil and allow to boil for at least 10 minutes, then allow to simmer for another 5 (for a total of about 25 minutes of cook time). NOTE: This works well if you have very small/thin pieces of potatoes and carrots. If you have larger chunks, you will probably want to increase the boiling time to 15 minutes in order to properly soften those two vegetables.

My friend Kathleen and Mark both swear the soup is better with shredded mozzarella cheese and cracked pepper on top.

TIP: If you freeze the leftover soup and later re-heat it over the stove, I suggest adding some more of the tomato paste when you re-heat it to help keep the soup from being a little watery.


Original recipe found here:Big Batch Vegetable Soup



Happy eating :-)