Split Leeky Soup

Split Leeky Soup is one of the few dishes I make that does not contain garlic. I just didn't think it needed it. *ducks in case the Garlic Gods throw lightening* Truly an odd thing for me, but there you are.

One of the best things about making your own soup is that you control the sodium levels. Salt should accent rather than overpower flavor elements. Canned soup corporations have trained many of us to accept and expect overly salted soups. Pause a minute before buying that can of soup, take a measured breath, and read nutrition facts.Notice the excess of sodium and the minimalist vitamins. Then put the can back on the shelf, go home, and make this outstanding soup.

Split Leeky Soup
Nutrition facts are set for 1 T soy sauce

What you need:

6 cups no-sodium Veggie stock
16 oz dried split peas, picked over and rinsed
3 leeks, cleaned and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1-2 T low sodium soy sauce
6 shakes of Tabasco
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

What to do as you prep for cookery:

split peas

Always rinse and sort through dried beans and peas. The way they are grown and harvested means that every now and then you will find a small stone in the mix. Use a fine mesh colander and check for stones. Then rinse until the water comes out clear.

Put the split peas and stock into a large pot. Bring  to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer about an hour, stir every now and then.

While the peas are simmering, prep the rest of the ingredients.

First, prep the leek. If you have never cooked with a leek before, it is very easy to prep. The part you eat is the white bulb and the lightest green part above the bulb. Leeks have a sort of mild onion flavor and add depth to this soup. Smaller leeks are the most tender, so choose them on the small side if you can.

you just use the white and light
green parts!

Using a sharp knife, cut off the roots, then peel off the dark outer leaves, trim off the top until you just have the white and light green part left. The leaves and roots can be used in two ways - 1) as one of the veggies to be pitched after use but that are wonderful when making stock, or 2) as a "green" in a compost bin.

Slice in half lengthwise, then make thin slices from the bottom up. Leeks often hide a lot of dirt within the layers, so the best way to rinse them is to put them in a bowl of water, swish them around, drain, and repeat until they are clean. Now, put them in a bowl large enough to hold all the veggies for the soup.

Prep the onion by chopping the entire thing. Add to the bowl with the leeks.

Prep the carrots by peeling and chopping to a small dice. Add to the bowl with the leeks and onions.

Pick some fresh parsley, rinse it well, chop it all up, and add it to the bowl with the leeks, onions, and carrots!

Set out the soy sauce, Tabasco, and black pepper in a handy dandy place with a measuring spoon if you like to measure with spoons instead of eyeballs and nose. Because I am careful with salty things, I actually measured the soy sauce and I just used 1 T this time...measuring like that is not the normal thing for me.

How to finish the soup:

I do hope you have been stirring the peas and stock. Not ridiculously hovering all the time, just a twirl sometimes so it doesn't stick to the bottom. Every 15 minutes will do.

Tip all the veggies into the pot and stir. Return to a simmer and cover. Cook, stirring a bit every now and then, until the veggies are soft - about half an hour or so. Add the seasonings, stir, and taste. Adjust upward and onward to the level of spicy saltiness you love most with the other flavors. Start lightly and build.

Serve with a lovely watercress and cucumber sandwich and enjoy a very mindful meal.

Peace Soup with Farro, White Beans, and Spinach

Each ingredient in this soup deserved to be in the title declaring world peace, but I am not an academic and like my titles short and sweet. Yes, the basil and roasted garlic could easily have graced the title, as nothing is more peaceful than those two coexisting in the same pot. Of course, the tomatoes were a critical element bridging the flavors of basil and garlic and transforming the duo into a glorious aria of deliciousness. Yes, it took each and every one of the ingredients in this dish working together in harmony to create the peace that fell gently around everyone at the kitchen table tonight.

May the entire world one day sit down to a shared meal of peace.

farro

Peace Soup with Farro, White Beans, and Spinach

Nutrition facts

What you need to assemble:

1/2 cup farro

1 1/2 cup water

pinch of salt

2 heads garlic, roasted and peeled

2 T olive oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

3 t garlic powder

4 cups chicken or veggie stock

2 (15 oz) cans organic Great Northern Beans or 1 pound of dried beans picked over, soaked, and rinsed per package directions

2 pounds tomatoes, chopped

3-4 cups packed baby spinach, torn

1 cup fresh basil, torn

freshly cracked black pepper

What you do:

Put the farro, water, and salt in a medium pot, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid. Cook until the water is absorbed - this takes about 20 minutes.

While the farro is cooking, roast the garlic heads. Separate the cloves, but leave them peeled. Put them on a tray (a toaster oven is just fine for this). Do not oil or spray the tray. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and roast the cloves for about 12-15 minutes - until the peels start to shrivel and brown a bit and the cloves are soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

While the garlic is cooling, start the soup. In a very large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it is shimmering, add the onion and saute until it is soft and clear. Sprinkle on the garlic powder and stir for a minute. Then add the stock, beans, and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cover. 

Now don't forget to check on the farro. If it is done, add it to the soup!

The garlic should be cool by now. Use a sharp knife and cut off one end of each clove and peel. When they are all peeled, add them, entirely whole, to the soup.

Let all this simmer another 10-15 minutes which is just the right amount of time to tear the cleaned spinach and basil.

Add the torn greenery to the soup and stir well for a minute and smile gently while they reduce in size. Cover and cook for another two minutes.

Serve with a loaf of dense chewy peasant style bread, perhaps a glass of your favorite wine, and enjoy the mindfulness in peace.

With this recipe, I Declare World Peace.

Peaceful Green Bean and Potato Soup

I love soup almost as much as I love Declaring World Peace. I do have a day job though and don't have all day to let pots of soup simmer about on my stove. So fast is the name of the game whenever possible. With this soup, you can go home, chop up stuff for 10 minutes, do a quick saute, and let the stuff simmer just until everyone is home and ready for dinner. If you are interested in nutrition facts, I ran this soup through the analyzer here.

Peaceful Green Bean and Potato Soup is awesome when served with a crusty rustic bit of French bread... maybe spread with a nice bit of Brie...

What's in there:

2 T olive oil, use pure olive oil not extra virgin as nasty things happen to extra virgin olive oil when it is over heated (or use 2 T butter if you prefer, either will work)

1 onion, use your fave - yellow, white, red, or sweet and the size depends on how much you love onion.

2 celery stalks, chopped - do not throw away the leaves. If your stalks do not have leaves then get leaves from the other stalks. Leaves are critical to making an awesome soup.

5 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced

8 cups salt free chicken stock - if you don't have some good homemade stock, use Kitchen Basics no salt

1 pound of red potatoes - leave the nutritious peels on, just rinse well and chop (remember it's for soup so don't make the pieces too big).

24 oz frozen cut green beans - you can use fresh if you know it's fresh. Check the beans. If they do not snap, they have been sitting about languishing on the grocer's shelves and much of their nutrition has simply vanished. Frozen veggies and fruits are just fine and as most are frozen immediately upon picking actually contain more nutrition than dubious fresh. Now, in a perfect world, you went out into your own organic garden and picked the beans this afternoon. *sighs and remembers times of gardens past*

1/4 cup fresh parsley picked from your very own pot of parsley, chopped

1 t tarragon, dried - or use fresh if you have a nice herb garden and start with maybe 1 1/2 Tablespoons of fresh herb. Remember, when I give you the measurements for spices and such, I am giving you starting amounts. The real amount may be larger as spices are totally to taste. If you are new to tarragon - use about half a teaspoon and add more later if you like it. Let it simmer a bit first before tasting and deciding.

1/2 t white pepper (trust me, it's better with tarragon than black pepper)

a few shakes of Tabasco sauce... or a bunch of shakes once you've tasted it and are adjusting the seasonings

maybe some salt if you just have to but really, do you have to? What did your doctor say about that blood pressure last time? This is why I often use Tabasco in place of straight up salt. There's only a pinch of salt in it and the peppers accent the flavors just like salt. A few shakes will not make it hot.

Easy Assembly Instructions:

Always prep your ingredients. Slice, dice, measure, and put all the ingredients together in nice little containers all lined up in order of appearance. Then, when you start cooking you don't have to worry about what you are forgetting. You don't have to madly rush about chopping the garlic which you totally forgot and is added so early on in the process. This is a most peaceful and mindful way to cook. As an added benefit he enjoyment factor is ramped up because you can pretend you are a famous television chef and that your many obsequious sous chefs have done all the work for you.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and saute the onion until it is clear and starting to brown up a bit. Add the celery and cook oh, another five minutes or so. Sauteing really brings out the flavors so do it. No cutting corners and just dumping the veggies in. Add the garlic and saute for another two minutes.

Add the stock, potatoes, green beans, parsley, tarragon, white pepper, and Tabasco. Bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the potatoes and beans are well cooked. 15 minutes should do, but it won't hurt it if it cooks longer. Taste and adjust the seasonings. You may want to experiment with adding other herbs such as Herbes de Provence or thyme.

With this soup, I Declare World Peace. Enjoy in the most mindful way possible.

Soup With an Asian Flair

I am not Asian. I have a good friend that is Thai, though. She cooks for me a lot, for which I am perpetually grateful. She's been busy lately and so I decided to make her Yum Nua for dinner. Now, when she makes me a meal, there is usually a soup starter and rice served on the side. I am lazy and decided to combine the first course of soup with the rice, with a bunch of ideas from other recipes, and food memories to create...

Jasmine Ginger Soup

Ingredients of an estimated nature cuz sometimes I just poured from the bottle. This is ok anyway because soups are always personal and to taste, so taste at many points along the way:

1 chunk of ginger cut off a root, peel removed - about the size of a quarter
2 scallions rough cut and smooshed a bit with the side of your cleaver
4 cups no salt veggie stock (or chicken if you prefer)
1/4 cup Sherry - please get drinkable sherry and not "cooking" sherry. It doesn't have to be the expensive kind.
2 t low sodium soy sauce
1 cup carrots thin sliced on the diagonal - soup eating sized
1/4 cup Jasmine rice, uncooked
a couple dried Shitake mushrooms, reconstituted and chopped small (more if you love mushroom)
1/2 cup Sugar Snap peas or Snow Peas if you like them best, rinsed, ends trimmed and cut with diagonal lines into thirds
2-3 scallions chopped for garnish

How I made it:

In a large pot (with a lid), I combined the ginger, smooshed scallion, stock, sherry, soy sauce, and carrots. Bring to a simmer, cover, and after oh 15 minutes or so, remove the scallion and ginger with a slotted spoon. They are just there to provide lovely flavors to the stock.

Add the rice and simmer covered until the rice is done, about 30 minutes. The amount of rice here makes this a perfect first course soup. Mine sat in the fridge a couple hours before dinner and the rice grew to the point where it was a most filling soup. I may consider cutting it a bit, but not too much depending on what the other dishes are going to be.

About 10-15 minutes before serving, add the mushrooms. It will smell wondrous right now. Inhale deeply. Return to a simmer. About five minutes before serving, add the peas. Because you cannot help yourself, taste the soup stock and adjust the flavors.

Check the flavors:

You may want to add the water the mushrooms were reconstituted in (I did not because my son does not care for mushrooms and I only hoped he would not notice the bits floating about), fresh cracked black pepper, more soy sauce, some ground hot Thai chilis, or any other flavor you think it needs. Remember, there is salt in the soy sauce, so refrain from salting if you can. If you need to, add tiny twists one at a time til it is perfect.

Serve immediately and top with the chopped scallions. I'm making this ahead of time so all I have to do is reheat tonight. I'll post a pic of the soup then!

It's all in the Minestrone

Minestrone is one of those kitchen sink sort of soups. It's really all in there. It was one of the first soups I ever made - once I found out that meals don't just magically appear at the table and are not always supplied by restaurants. Back in the day, I used to make this from dried Great Northern beans. Since I started working, though, it's canned. Maybe in retirement....

Stuff that goes into Minestrone:

 If you are interested in nutrition facts, click here.

4 stalks celery, sliced
1 large onion, diced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 zucchini
3 T pure olive oil
4 garlic cloves smooshed up good
8 sprigs of parsley, rinsed and chopped (either curly or flat Italian is just fine)
4 cups or more of the stock of your choice - veggie is best and keeps this recipe vegetarian, but you can use beef or chicken if you prefer.
28 oz hand crushed tomatoes - peeling is up to you, or just get a large can of whole tomatoes and you save some work and still get to crush them up!
3 red potatoes, diced, I like to leave the nutritious skin on 
2-3 cans of Great Northern white beans, rinsed and drained
at least 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or a tablespoon of fresh)
1/4 cup fresh rinsed and torn basil
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce - to taste, but if you are a non-salter like me, you will want several shakes as the Tabasco seems to act as salt and finishes the flavors beautifully

1/2 - 1 cup little bitty soup pasta (depends on how much you love pasta in soup)
2 cups rinsed and torn spinach

Optional:

a drained and rinsed can of chick peas. I love this, but the Spousal Unit hates chick peas so....

Also, you may be a salter. Hopefully not, but you might be one. If so, taste near the end of cooking and add in only just enough. If you used salted stock though, do try to avoid adding the extra salt.

Add in any other veggie you love such as green beans are awesome, broccoli bits, or sweet red pepper. 

What to do:

Prep all your ingredients first. It's fun and organized and you can feel like Julia Child on her cookery show.

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Then add the celery, onion, carrots, and zucchini. Saute for several minutes until the onion is softened a bit. Then add in the garlic and parsley and saute for another couple minutes.

Add the liquids, potato, beans, oregano, basil, pepper and Tabasco sauce. Bring to a near boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for several hours...or until you are ready to eat and it tastes great. You can simmer it long or short depending on how long it is til dinner (I generally start soup early and just let it go on the stove). Just be sure the soup has the time to complete the marriage of flavors and makes you smile when you take a taste.

About 30-40 minutes before dinner, taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference. Then add the soup pasta and allow to simmer until they are tender.

Add in the spinach and stir, simmering, for another five minutes or so.

If at any time the liquid seems reduced too much, add either more stock or tomatoes as you prefer. It's fine for the reduction to take place as the flavors are concentrating. You are the judge as to how thick it should be. Taste and think. You may like a more tomatoey soup or a more brothy soup. This is also a good time to taste and adjust the seasonings.

Enjoy this very mindful thought provoking nutritious soup often.

Roasted Beef Stock

Roasted Beef Stock

Ingredients:

5 pounds or so of Beef Soup Bones – meaty bones with marrow, adding a few veal bones gives a wonderful thick consistency

Your favorite veggie scraps (if you save the scraps in your freezer, you can make stock once your bag is full)

Or you can cut up: 2 carrots, 1 onions, 2 celery stalks with leaves, 6 garlic cloves smashed with skin on, sliced leeks, or mushrooms, etc. Use your favorites. Don’t use beets or cruciferous veggies in beef stock though. I never have, but have seen several chefs note that it throws off the taste of the stock. And as there seems to be a consensus I thought I’d best comment right along with them.

Water

2 T Cider Vinegar

2-3 Bay Leaves

Optional – black peppercorns

Directions:

Rinse and pat the bones dry.

Roast them at 400 ° F for about an hour until they are well-browned. If you used big chunks of veggies instead of scraps, roast them with the bones.

Drain the fat from the pan and deglaze with a little water. Add the deglazing water to the stock pot with the bones, and your veggies or scraps.

Add water to cover and bring to a simmer. It’s best not to boil beef stock. Add the vinegar and bay leaf and simmer for 4 – 12 hours. It’s up to you. Longer is great for beef stock, but it will be delicious after four hours.

Skim the scum that rises to the top every now and then – about every 30 minutes - and if you need to add water if it is evaporating too quickly, do so. If you are suspicious because there is no salt, taste it right before straining and add a little if you absolutely have to.

Strain the stock through a fine mesh colander lined with cheesecloth. Set the pot or bowl in the fridge to cool so the fat rises to the top and is easy to remove and discard.

Ladle the delicious stock into the container of your choice – I like freezer containers. If you like to put things up in jars, that will work well for stock.

It will thin as it is reheated. Try caramelizing some onions and mushrooms. Then heat them in a cup of stock for a nourishing meal.

Talking Turkey Stock

At some point, many of us will be faced with the sight of a turkey carcass, all that remains of a delightful meal. Lots of people pitch it, but hey, economy is a very good and mindful thing. Besides it's a cinch to make a great tasting stock that will serve as a delicious starter for the soup you planned to make with all the lovely bits of turkey meat you removed from the carcass after dinner.

This is a pretty basic stock method that also works great for chicken.

Start with a very large pot that has a lid. Place the left over bones in the pot (leave on the pieces meat and some of the skin - not JUST the bones, ok?). You may want to break it into a few larger pieces so it fits better. If you still have it, you can also add the neck. I never add the livers. I have no reason for this except that once I read a cookery book by the Great Julia Child and she said "no livers." Therefore, no livers will be added to your stock.

I'll Have a Bowl of Corn Chowder.

This is just about my most favorite soup ever, well, it's not a soup, it's chowder! Those that read my ramblings on Food I Eat know that there will never be a fish that makes it all the way past my lips with the exception of heavily spiced or sauced shrimp, preferably grilled. So, don't even begin to talk to me about how corn has no place in the real New England Chowder. You people that eat clams need to come round to the real chowder - corn chowder.

If you are into calories and nutrition facts, click here.

my chowder as a side dish

New England Corn Chowder

Ingredients with variations on the theme and options for your enjoyment no matter how you eat:

6 strips of the meatiest bacon you can find. If you can get applewood smoked bacon do it, because it is the best ever. Trim off any ends that are particularly fatty...yes a bit wasteful, but it's better. Trust me. If you are a serious bacon eater add more...or cook up some to sprinkle on when it is served.

White Bean and Arugula Soup

prepared with spinach as that is the greenery I had on hand.

Like all great primal recipes, this soup that can be made differently each time. Change the greenery - try spinach or kale or peppery watercress instead of arugula. Change the bean - pinto beans, black beans, or use any other bean you love. Want more vegetables? Add carrots and/or celery (be sure to include some of those delicious celery leaves). If you are carnivorous, add chunks of smoked sausage or cooked Italian sausage. Saute in habanero olive oil for a real kick...in fact, do get yourself some of Sciabica's fantastic habanero olive oil. I use it in everything I can.

A comforting easy soup to make on the most hectic day. Feel free to use prepared boxes of veggie stock instead of homemade. My favorite brands of boxed stock are Kitchen Basics or Imagine. Both are just fine and come in a low or no sodium version (that's what I use). By now many of you have noticed I don't add salt except on rare occasions. If you need salt because you are used to it, go right ahead and add it. Don't tell me you did though, salt's not good for my blood pressure.

White Bean and Arugula Soup
nutrition facts
about 8 servings depending on the size of your bowls.

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil - use pure olive oil not extra virgin when you saute
1 onion, chopped
3 heaping T garlic, chopped
1 1/2 t thyme
1 t smokey paprika
1/2 t fresh cracked black pepper
2 (15 oz cans) white beans, rinsed and drained - or better still, cook up a pound of beans from dry, divide into two freezer bags that weigh about a pound each and use one bag each time you make the soup!
4 cups vegetable stock, preferably low or no sodium
2 medium red potatoes, chopped - you can always add more to make it super hearty
1 1/2 T olive oil (habanero olive oil is wonderful here, but not required by law)
2 C arugula, chopped 

Directions:

Saute in a large soup pot, pure olive oil, onion, thyme, black pepper. Stir frequently and when the onion is clear, add the garlic and saute for a few more minutes - do not brown the garlic or it may turn bitter. If the pot becomes dry before the veges are softened, add one tablespoon of the stock and continue to saute until the veggies are soft.

Add the white beans (Great Northern is my favorite, but Cannelini works if you like the larger bean), stock and potatoes. Simmer at least 15 minutes. Taste and add more seasonings if you wish. You may want a thinner soup, in which case add more broth - it does not add much in the way of calories!

Shortly before serving the soup, heat a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and saute the arugula or whatever greenery you are using. When it is wilted, add it to the soup.

I strongly recommend hot red pepper flakes for this - especially if you serve it thicker.

Serve with a warm homemade roll such as a brioche or a baking powder biscuit. A salad makes a lovely accompaniment - both for the visual and for the contrast of cool to hot. Enjoy mindfully and often.

Red, Green, and White

It was around 100 degrees yesterday, and as the temperature at 7:30am today was 88 and rising, I think it is safe to assume that it will do the same today. But I will have to pretend that it is chilly outside because I want soup. Meatball Soup. This wonderful soup includes the colors of the Italian flag – red, green, and white – and makes a beautiful presentation at the table
 

Red from tomatoes, green from green beans, and white from acini di pepe which is a tiny soup pasta. The spice amounts in the recipe below are estimates as I measure with shakes and pinches, just add ingredients until it smells, tastes, and looks right. People should walk in to the room and exclaim that it smells just wonderful! I do not use salt (the Tabasco takes the place of salt for me), but you may prefer your food salted – so salt away. Always err on the side of more for garlic.

This substantial soup is absolutely superb when served with fresh brioche rolls. However tonight, as my tendinitis is flaring up and I can't knead dough, I will brown a loaf of crispy crunch Pepperidge Farm five cheese garlic bread.

Meatball Soup

Meatball Ingredients:

1 1/3 pound ground beef (more is fine, that's just what I had, if you use much more beef though, add another egg yolk or a T or so of milk to the mixture)
½ C bread crumbs – firm meatballs are best for soup so use the processed crumbs rather than torn pieces
1 egg
½ C Parmesan cheese (or Romano, or 3 cheese, your choice, but do use fresh grated - huge difference in taste)
2 T fresh parsley chopped or 1 t dried
½ t cracked black pepper
1 t oregano
3 t garlic, minced – or about 2 t of dried garlic

Soup Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-4 C beef stock basically it depends on how many meatballs you made - now, if you went overboard on the meatballs, you might find that you need a little more stock or canned tomatoes to make it soupy. Taste and decide which would be best.
32-45 oz canned tomatoes - it all depends on the amount of meatballs.
2 t oregano
3 t basil
6 t garlic, chopped and smashed (or use dried)
½ t cracked black pepper
½ – 1 t Tabasco sauce (I use this instead of salt, if you use salt you may want to cut back a tad on the other seasonings, but really - you don't need all that salt)
1 t sugar
2 C cut green beans (I just use one bag of frozen beans)
½ C acini di pepe or other teensy tiny soup pasta

Directions:

Mix beef, bread crumbs, egg, Parmesan, parsley, oregano, garlic and black pepper thoroughly and shape into tiny bite sized meatballs. Bake in a large pan sprayed with your favorite olive oil or use Pam at 375 about 25 minutes or til done and browned a bit. Set aside.

In a large sauce pan saute the onion in the olive oil til the onion is transparent, add stock, water, tomatoes, spices, and sugar. Bring to a boil then simmer covered 10 minutes. Add green beans and simmer covered five more minutes. Stir in the pasta and meatballs and simmer covered at least 15 more minutes until the pasta is done and plumped up. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Can keep on the stove for more simmering or serve immediately. If the pasta soaks up too much stock, just add more stock or tomatoes as you prefer - and then some more spices for the added liquid.

I am a Vegetarian today but the rest of the family is not so....

I have officially declared today I Still Get to Eat Like a Vegetarian Day. The following soup is one of my favorites – soothing, delicious, can be made very low cal, and is nicely high in vitamins. I think I'll pair it with a toasted tomato, basil, provolone cheese sandwich made with wheat berry bread. No quibbling as to the vegetarian nature of cheese and evaporated milk, this is my blog and what I say goes...it even counts if I decide to use the bacon.

Potato Carrot Soup

For those that are interested in such things as nutrition facts, they have been analyzed at Calorie Count!

Ingredients with special notes:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2-4 c red potato, diced (peeling is optional)
1 c onion, diced
1 c celery, sliced (include some of the leaves)
1 ½ c carrot, sliced
1 sweet red bell pepper (optional)
7-14 pieces of bacon, cut in to chunks (this is optional and it's real handy to use the precooked bacon so you don't have to drain the fat - sometimes I just cook some bacon and crumble it for the meat eaters at the table to enjoy and have my soup vegetarian!)
3 teaspoons garlic, chopped
1 ½ teaspoon thyme
1 t paprika
4 c Vegetable Stock (you could use chicken stock if you prefer. I like Kitchen Basics brand. You might need a little more if you add too many potatoes!)
2 tablespoon parsley, chopped, or 1 tsp dried
½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
12 oz can of evaporated milk (optional for extra creaminess)
shredded cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, saute the onion, celery and carrot in olive oil til veggies are softened a bit (if you are adding chunks of bacon, you can do that here)

2. add garlic, thyme, and paprika and saute a minute or two

3. Add potato, veggie stock (enough to cover the veggies) - preferably low sodium, and the rest of the seasonings.

4. Bring to a boil and then simmer covered (tilt the lid to vent a bit) til veggies are cooked (approx 30-45 minutes), stir every now and then. You can add more stock if it reduces too much or if it does not look like the veggies are covered.

5. Stir in the evaporated milk and cheese (if you are using them) shortly before preparing for serving.

6. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Let aroma and your own taste buds be the judge of what is right for you. Ditto with what spices and/or herbs to use. Experiment, soup is a wonderful flexible thing.

7. Before serving, mash a few of the potatoes with a fork as this gives the soup a nice thickness yet still retains its rustic chunky character.

8. If you really want it thick, either increase the amount of potatoes or make a roux and add some during the last five minutes. Today I added the roux, but I used a few shakes of Tony Chachere's instant powdered roux which works amazingly well!

9. The bacon is not recommended if you are trying to recover from a carnivorous attack, but can be minimized with a small crumble of them on the top at serving time.

10. Serve with a nice tall glass of locally grown cool water enhanced with a squishing of fresh lemon or lime.