Can you believe that it's November? That means that the Kitchen Matrix Cooking Project - really Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm, Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories, and I - have been doing this for ten months already. You can read more about our project here. And this month, Wendy picked the recipes. This week, she selected Vegetable Soup + 12 Ways. Check out the line-up...
In four categories - creamy, brothy, earthy, and hearty - Bittman offered a trio of options. It's still not really soup season here. We just got back from our annual Halloween camping trip and it was in the mid-60s till almost dinner time. Here's our crew carving pumpkins and me in a hammock - notice the shorts and short sleeves!
But, when we pulled into the driveway on Sunday, I remembered that I needed to make a vegetable soup. So, I went easy and used all of the vegetables in my bin! I had onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, and spinach. I would say that this is closest to the minestrone, but I skipped the potatoes and tomatoes and added a dollop of salsa on top. Since Bittman himself claims "some preparations just don't need [recipes] - and most vegetable soups fall into that category", I'm going with that. This isn't a recipe...just a basic process. Enjoy.
Vegetable Bin Soup
Saute 1 medium onion, 3 to 4 chopped carrots, 3 to 4 chopped celery ribs, and 2 cloves peeled and pressed garlic in a splash of olive oil. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are softened and beginning to turn translucent. Add 6 C water or stock (I used half and half). Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add in 1 C zucchini and simmer for another 8 minutes. Fold in 4 C baby spinach and stir until just wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a spoonful of salsa on top.
I can't believe it's November! I'm approaching the end of this project with a sense of sadness, and a sense of relief at the same time! You and Wendy are both so good at double posting! Me not so much!!! Your soup sounds great, and the dollop of salsa on top is perfect.
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to serve us "garbage" soup each Friday when she would clean out the refrigerator and everything went into one pot LOL. During Lent she omitted any leftover meats.
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