Dec 29 2009
On a day like today; 18 degrees, windy and frigid, there is nothing that I enjoy more than a bowl of homemade soup. Soup is a perfect cozy bowl of comfort and nourishment. Soup making is economical, great way to get in extra doses of vegetables and a good starting point to getting your children involved in the process of creating healthy meals. Soups can be varied in ingredients and texture to satisfy even the most finicky diner. Our favorite type of soup is one that we call; "refrigerator soup"; ok it's not a particular sexy name but you get the idea.
Today, after many days of holiday foods I was in the mood for some cozy nourishment with lots of vegetables. I found my inspiration by opening the refrigerator and poking around in the pantry to create a signature soup for our evening meal. I started with sauting 1/2 of a red onion and 1 lonely leek, (the last one from the past seasons CSA). After the onions were lightly wilted, I added 2 large cloves of minced garlic and 3 carrots peeled and diced. As the vegetables were sauting I seasoned them with some sea salt and dried thyme. After about 5-8 minutes I added 1 drained and rinsed can of organic kidney beans, 1 cup of leftover tomato sauce, 2 red potatoes that were peeled and diced and several cups of vegetable stock. The soup simmer for about 15 minutes and then I added 1/2 cup of rinsed quinoa (for added protein), 1 cup of leftover cooked green beans cut into small pieces from a holiday meal and to top it off 1 frozen cube of pesto that I made during the summer. The soup continued cooking for another 15-20 minutes. My daughter walked through the kitchen with a smile on her face saying; what smells so good? I handed her a spoon for tasting and after a few adjustments of extra ground pepper and a little more cooking time we were ready for dinner.
This is what I call time well spent in the kitchen!
Comment on my Blog
Posts: 1
Reply #1 on : Wed December 30, 2009, 10:45:21