Winter Veggie Soup
So, yesterday I went to Target with no intention of making this soup, but as I wandered the veggie area, I discovered that either the fruit and veggie truck didn’t come that day or the employees were holding out on me. As I was perusing tomatoes, a hapless, aging Target employee asked me if I was finding everything. Which I know is not a question that I am not supposed to answer, rather one of those that you are supposed to nod, smile and walk away from. But, this poor veggie man did not realize who he was talking to. I said “Actually, I am quite disappointed by the selection of fruits and vegetables today. The spinach is rotting, and there are no zucchini.” At first he looked shocked, but recovered his composure, and gave me what seemed to be a prepared statement of “Well, it is winter and the fruits and vegetables have to travel a long distance to get to our shelves. Sometimes they don’t make it.” I stared at him for a moment considering reminding him that we didn’t live in Siberia, but quickly decided that would not make my mother proud, and I was wearing a sweat shirt with my employers name printed across it, so I took the high road said “okay”, and walked away before anything mean could slip through my lips.
I walked around the corner and found some interesting looking Idaho Klondike mini-potatoes and thought okay winter veggie soup. The potatoes are really cute. (Can vegetables be cute? I’m from Idaho, so I guess yes, potatoes are cute.) And there were purple ones in the mix. When I cut into the potatoes they are actually purple inside!! I was shocked and Joe suggested we google them to make sure they’re edible. They are and actually are full of more nutrients than regular potatoes. See http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/ar/archive/oct01/potato1001.htm
I walked around the corner and found some interesting looking Idaho Klondike mini-potatoes and thought okay winter veggie soup. The potatoes are really cute. (Can vegetables be cute? I’m from Idaho, so I guess yes, potatoes are cute.) And there were purple ones in the mix. When I cut into the potatoes they are actually purple inside!! I was shocked and Joe suggested we google them to make sure they’re edible. They are and actually are full of more nutrients than regular potatoes. See http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/ar/archive/oct01/potato1001.htm
I grabbed some leeks, dried beans, carrots, and celery and decided that when life gives you lemons make lemonade, or more aptly when life gives you root vegetables make veggie soup.
And just one more gripe about Target, the checker girl asked me the name of every vegetable in my basket. Okay – I’ll give her the leeks, I recently figured out what those are, but broccoli and yellow squash, really? Am I on candid camera? Or is it true that Americans eat so little vegetables from scratch, that a checker at a grocery store cannot readily identify broccoli? What is this world coming to? At least, I know I’m doing my part, my students just did a lesson on fruits and vegetables in Spanish, so at least they’ll be able to identify them en español…
Enough complaining and on to the recipe ;-)
Winter Veggie Crock Pot Soup
½ bag dried bean soup mix (the bag with all sorts of different beans, but throw the “ham” flavor packet away. How could a white powder taste like ham? If you want ham flavor, buy a hock and put it in the soup, just take it out before you serve it ;-)
3 leeks
6 carrots
1 bunch celery
2 cloves garlic
5 mini-potatoes or 2 regular potatoes (preferably the purple kind, just because it’s fun)
1 vegetable bullion cube
Water
Soak the beans according to the package.
Pre-heat crock pot at hot (you’ll turn it down later)
Boil some water (about 4 cups) in a pot with bullion cube and chopped garlic.
Chop up the veggies in bite sized cubes.
Once water boils, add beans and boiling water to crock pot. Add the veggies. Stir. Boil more water and add it, if you need to. By need to, I mean if there is not enough in the pot, you want it to be about ¾ full.
Turn the crock pot down to low. Clean the house, vacuum, plan some lessons, do laundry, go to yoga class. Try not to open the crock pot…I didn't the whole time it cooked!! I’m proud of myself! This should take about 6-8 hours until everything is ready to go.
Eat and enjoy!!
I was going to put some tomatoes in this to make it more minestrone like, but forgot to add them, and then used one for my breakfast, so it didn’t get tomatoes. But, you could add them, and leave a comment saying how that all was.
I asked Joe if he wanted either noodles in the soup or bread. But, he questioned why he had to pick just one. So, I cooked up some rigatoni noodles to add along with some toasted bread. YUM!
And just one more gripe about Target, the checker girl asked me the name of every vegetable in my basket. Okay – I’ll give her the leeks, I recently figured out what those are, but broccoli and yellow squash, really? Am I on candid camera? Or is it true that Americans eat so little vegetables from scratch, that a checker at a grocery store cannot readily identify broccoli? What is this world coming to? At least, I know I’m doing my part, my students just did a lesson on fruits and vegetables in Spanish, so at least they’ll be able to identify them en español…
Enough complaining and on to the recipe ;-)
Winter Veggie Crock Pot Soup
½ bag dried bean soup mix (the bag with all sorts of different beans, but throw the “ham” flavor packet away. How could a white powder taste like ham? If you want ham flavor, buy a hock and put it in the soup, just take it out before you serve it ;-)
3 leeks
6 carrots
1 bunch celery
2 cloves garlic
5 mini-potatoes or 2 regular potatoes (preferably the purple kind, just because it’s fun)
1 vegetable bullion cube
Water
Soak the beans according to the package.
Pre-heat crock pot at hot (you’ll turn it down later)
Boil some water (about 4 cups) in a pot with bullion cube and chopped garlic.
Chop up the veggies in bite sized cubes.
Once water boils, add beans and boiling water to crock pot. Add the veggies. Stir. Boil more water and add it, if you need to. By need to, I mean if there is not enough in the pot, you want it to be about ¾ full.
Turn the crock pot down to low. Clean the house, vacuum, plan some lessons, do laundry, go to yoga class. Try not to open the crock pot…I didn't the whole time it cooked!! I’m proud of myself! This should take about 6-8 hours until everything is ready to go.
Eat and enjoy!!
I was going to put some tomatoes in this to make it more minestrone like, but forgot to add them, and then used one for my breakfast, so it didn’t get tomatoes. But, you could add them, and leave a comment saying how that all was.
I asked Joe if he wanted either noodles in the soup or bread. But, he questioned why he had to pick just one. So, I cooked up some rigatoni noodles to add along with some toasted bread. YUM!
Jen I love it! This is awesome! Keep the good healthy recipes coming. I'm on a new healthy eating, trying new recipes kick so keep em healthy. Just got the pictures from the Wedding. I loved that you write the card in May. Have a good week with the teens.
ReplyDeleteI'm all about the crock pot. Everything seems healthier when it is scooped out of it!! I'm glad you like my recipes!! Make the pumpkin bread - the kids will love it!!
ReplyDelete