A week of soups - Vegetable & whatever Soup

This is a go-to for when we need to feel like we've eaten healthy. Exactly how healthy depends on the "whatever" part of the soup, but I'll get to that below.

I devised this soup for my daughter, who several years ago announced she liked the "red vegetable soup" but didn't mean tomato (she generally hates fresh tomatoes). After making tomato soup, I figured out what she actually meant through a series of questions resulting in one-word grunts that all parents of pre-teens are probably familiar with.

Anyway here is the soup recipe - fast, easy and completely satisfying.

Fast Vegetable Soup - serves 4-8 (freeze it for a Saturday lunch)

2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs of celery plus a half-handful of the celery leaves, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp Onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
a half-handful of chopped fresh herbs (whatever you've got like chives, parsley, oregano, thyme)
OR 2 tbsp of a dried herb seasoning mix (salt-free)
3 tbsps olive oil
a 14 oz. can of tomato sauce OR half of a 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1-2 quarts/boxes of organic chicken stock (depending on how soupy you like it)
Diced zucchini (if you can get your family to eat it)
Frozen or fresh (shelled) Peas
Frozen or fresh Corn
Frozen (or fresh) Edamame
Can of kidney or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (whichever the fam prefers, or both)

In a large-ish, heavy pot, saute the carrots and celery in the olive oil for about 6 minutes, making sure they don't brown. Add the zucchini if you are using it, and cook another few minutes until heated but not mushy. Add the tomato sauce or paste. If using paste, work it through the vegetable mixture. Add the broth, the onion and garlic powders and the herbs. Bring to a simmer, then add the frozen stuff. My family loves Edamame so I go heavy on those. Return to a simmer and when things are heated through, add the beans. Return to simmer, and you are done. Sprinkle with red chile flakes for a kick, and/or grated parmesean cheese (green can, preferable) if you are my husband, Eat as vegetable soup, or add whatever...

The "whatever" part.

So this is where I throw in whatever I have that would be good - here is a list of things I have used. You probably have good ideas, too?!
- Cooked barley (it takes approx 45 mins to cook barley, so start it earlier. Cook it separately, freeze half for next time or for your Stuffed Peppers).
- Cooked Quinoa
- Cooked tortellini
- Cooked/leftover pasta or rice
- Cooked meatballs (TJ's frozen mini party meatballs are a fave at our house)
- Diced leftover chicken, pork, beef
- Chopped up grilled American cheese sandwich (yes, this is the husband's addition)

A week of soups - Potato Leek

We spent last weekend in Tahoe and came back completely bloated from mountain food. You know how it is, a stop at Ikeda's on the way up, big breakfast buffets, a few Snickers on the lifts, crappy lodge lunches and then out for pizza or burgers and fried items at the Bridgetender that you think you earned from your day on the slopes. Oh and a stop at the Auburn In-and-Out on the way home. Feel the bloat.

So Monday after the weekend crappy-food-fest I told the husb that we were going to eat soup all week. He didn't complain, because he knows he can plop a sheet of American cheese on top of any soup and find culinary satisfaction. Remember in my house, substantial quantities of melted cheese  = happy husband.

So I pulled out a bag of TJ's frozen leeks that I had picked up a few weeks ago. I like the idea of leeks but I am lazy and don't want to clean them, so thank you TJ's! I thought Potato Leek Soup sounded good if I could make it without the heavy cream, and also keep it from getting starchy. Well, it took about 20 minutes and came out great! We had it for lunch the rest of the week. With a sheet of American cheese on top, of course.

Potato Leek Soup - serves 4-8 depending on appetites

1 bag Trader Joe's frozen leeks
2 tablespoons butter
4 potatoes, I had Russets which worked great. Peel and dice.
1 quart/box (organic) chicken stock
a few sprigs fresh Thyme, chopped (grow it, it's easy!)
a handful of chopped Parsley
about 1/2 cup milk - I used 2%
a few shakes of Frank's Red Hot sauce or whatever hot sauce you have
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan that holds about 6 quarts. Add the leeks and cook on medium low until they are warm, soft and melty, about 10 minutes. Watch the heat so they don't brown, you want to keep them pale and soft. When the leeks are soft to the bite, add the potatoes and about 3/4 of the box of stock, plus the Thyme. Let it simmer about 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Remove from the heat and CAREFULLY use your immersion blender to puree the hot soup, leaving as much or as little of the leek/potato lumps as you prefer.  I like a few lumps for texture, but that's just me. (You can use a blender instead, but what a mess! DO NOT use a food processer with hot soups - a friend had her bowl explode, burn her, giant mess...bad). Stir in the parsley, milk and any additional broth to the consistency you like. Stir in the hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

Slice of American cheese on top - optional.