Looking for a simple vegetable soup recipe....

[Guest guest]

I have 4 bags of frozen " vegetables for soup " in the freezer and I'm really

in the mood for some vegetable soup. Anyone have any good recipes? I don't

want anything terribly fancy -- just something that will use the mixed

veggies in the frozen bag, maybe some onion and garlic and tomatoes. I was

thinking of kinda wingin' it but figured I'd see if anyone here had one

they've used in the past before I start tossing stuff in the ole crock pot.

<Grin>

 

James

[Guest guest]

The best soup usually comes from " winging it " here is an

idea get some miso paste read package for amounts add some shedded cabbage,1

clove of crushed garlic,add chopped onions,2 tsp thyme and 1-14 oz.can chopped

tomatoes some lentals would also be good.I'm winging it.Let me know how this

comes out,sounds good I think I will try it too.

good luck

 

 

Noctaire <noctaire wrote:

I have 4 bags of frozen " vegetables for soup " in the freezer and I'm really

in the mood for some vegetable soup. Anyone have any good recipes? I don't

want anything terribly fancy -- just something that will use the mixed

veggies in the frozen bag, maybe some onion and garlic and tomatoes. I was

thinking of kinda wingin' it but figured I'd see if anyone here had one

they've used in the past before I start tossing stuff in the ole crock pot.

<Grin>

 

James

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I agree about the best soups coming from winging it. When I'm in the mood

for soup I often start with some V8 or tomato juice and a can or two of

tomatoes, then I add whatever veggies I've got (your frozen vegetables will

be perfect), some onions and garlic and whatever herbs sound good to me at

the moment (usually basil, oregano, thyme, a couple of bay leaves, that sort

of thing). I also toss in a handful of TVP and/or a grain of some sort,

usually barley or rice. Some water if it looks like it needs it (to

reconstitute the TVP and the grains). Sometimes I'll put in a drop or two

of liquid smoke or sometimes some vegetarian beef-like or chicken-like broth

powder. Or leave out the grain and add some cooked pasta before serving.

It always comes out wonderfully.

 

Debbie

[Guest guest]

Well, I used a couple of bags in pot to make up some soup for lunch real

quick. It came out pretty good, but I'm still looking for a TNT crockpot

recipe, reason being that crockpot cooking is a bit different than doing it

on the range. I made up 5, good sized bowls with a pretty thick soup

(not much liquid) that I put in the freezer for later. I also made up a

minestrone whilst I was at it.

 

For anyone interested, here's what I prepped on the range this morning. It

might prove interesting to convert these over to crockpot recipes, although

I can't imagine they would need 8 hours to cook.

 

James

 

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Basic Vegetable Soup

Serves 5-10

 

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon Morton no-salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)

1/4 teaspoon rosemary

2 cups crushed tomatoes (no sugar added, no salt added)

6 cups water

2 1-pound bags of mixed vegetables

1 cup pearled barley

 

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add herbs/spices. Let

simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients

and bring to a boil. Cook at a simmer for about 1 hour or until the barley

has softened to where you like it.

 

The largest source of sodium in this recipe is the kosher salt. The other

ingredients add a only small amount of sodium. Most vegetable soup recipes

use broth (beef, chicken or vegetable), all of which contain a great deal of

sodium. By eliminating them and instead using water there is a substantial

change in flavor. One alternative is to use low sodium broth; another is to

use kosher salt. Remember that kosher salt has about half the sodium of

regular table salt (1120mg per teaspoon in the case of my preferred brand).

Even with the kosher salt, each bowl only has about 150-200mg of sodium (a

really hearty bowl is still well under 500mg) so it makes a suitable

low-sodium meal. You can leave the salt out and experiment with additional

herbs (try adding half a teaspoon of oregano for an Italian flavor) or other

broths (such as the HerbOx line of broth powders) to get the sodium even

lower.

 

NOTE: The frozen mixed vegetables are optional; you can just as easily use

fresh or come up with a mix of your own. Most mixes include things like

green beans, peas, carrots, celery, etc. The nice thing about the bagged

frozen variety is that they're quick.

 

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Recipe: Minestrone Soup

 

This classic Italian soup is always vegetarian, and if you leave off the

parmesan cheese it's vegan.

 

Yield 6-8 servings

Time 1 hour + bean soaking and cooking*

Tools large pot

wooden spoon

 

Ingredients 2 T olive oil

2 c chopped onion

4 cloves minced garlic

1 chopped celery stalk

1 chopped medium carrot

1 t minced oregano

1 t minced basil

½ t minced rosemary

½ t black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 c chopped zucchini

5 c vegetable stock and/or water

2 c soaked and cooked garbanzo or other beans

1 c dry, whole wheat pasta

2 c chopped tomatoes (canned ok, just watch sodium and sugar!)

minced parsley (optional)

grated parmesan cheese (optional)

 

Directions Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 5 minutes.

Add celery, carrot, and herbs, then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes,

stirring occasionally.

 

Add the zucchini and stock/water, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add

beans and simmer for 5 more minutes.

 

Bring the soup to a boil, add pasta, and cook, stirring occasionally, until

pasta is tender (7-10 minutes). Stir in the tomatoes and serve, topped with

parsley and/or parmesan cheese.

 

Notes This is a very flexible recipe: experiment with the amount of stock or

water to arrive at your preferred consistency - light soup, thick stew, etc.

You can also try adding other ingredients like mushrooms, cabbage, and

eggplant.

 

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