I feel almost bad posting this recipe. It’s just so easy. And I always get rave reviews so with tomorrow being the Friday Soup Supper at my church – it’s more or less a tradition during Lent, this is sure to be a crowd pleaser. (And if people don’t like healthy food, I won’t complain – I’ll be set with leftovers for quite a few days!) But back to the rules of Friday Soup Suppers:
- No meat products, whatsoever.
- No meat products, whatsoever.
- No meat products, whatsoever…. minus fish and shellfish.
- It must be soup.
Following? K. Good. The rules are simple… thankfully. I wanted to sneak in some bacon fat… but didn’t want to risk it. And, I really wanted something I could eat for a change. (It’s not usual that I get to eat at a church gathering.) So, rather than buy something pre-made from the store as was suggested (ew! Why would I do that to people?!?!?), I decided to toss some veggies together with a few spices and call it good.
Literally.
That’s all I did.
Oh, and I tossed in some red pepper flakes? Why? Because I can. And I like to keep people on their toes.
Note: I HATE cutting up veggies for soup. A few years ago, I bought a veggie cuber thingy. I use it so so so much in the summer when I’m making cucumber and tomato salads or have a bunch of onions to quickly cut or… am making veggie soup. It’s somewhat of a pain to clean as the blades are super sharp. (I’ve been known to kill my finger a few times on it.) But after a while, I’ve learned a technique that works for me. Anyway, it’s not one of my favorite gadgets but for stuff like this, I highly recommend it (especially if you have a BB&B 20% coupon).
Simple Vegetable Soup
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 organic zucchini, cubed
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped
- 3 carrots, cubed
- 2 28-oz organic crushed tomatoes in BPA-free cans
- 4 qt water
- 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning (salt and MSG-free, I use the Oregon Spice Blend, bought at Bob’s Red Mill Store in Milwaukie, the blend in the bulk organic spice section at Fred Meyer’s/Kroger’s or the organic blend from Costco)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- In a medium sized stock pot, saute onions in EVOO over medium heat until translucent.
- Add garlic and continue to saute for another minute.
- Toss in carrots and cauliflower and sautee until tender. Add zucchini and stir. Let sit for another three to four minutes.
- Add tomatoes (and all of their juice!) and water. Stir and add spices.
- Simmer over medium-low for half an hour, or until veggies are cooked. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.