Kristi Whitley

Healthy Living

Hardy Vegetable Soup

This is my own recipe so beware of the measurements. You may not like some of these ingredients by themselves, but trust me, the combination is delicious. If you really hate celery for example, mince it and it will disappear in the soup. The parsnip or turnip will seem like a potato but with much lower glycemic load. The smoke flavor from the tomatoes and smoked salt makes the soup much more comforting. You can use vegetable broth instead of water plus a little poultry seasoning if you can’t find “Not Chicken” bouillon. I haven’t tried it but I think these ingredients would work fine in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours.

2 T olive oil
2T coconut oil
½ large, sweet onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 parsnip or turnip, peeled and chopped
2 cups butternut squash or sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 28 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup dry lentils, washed and picked thru
1 10oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, green beans, peas)
6 cups water, more if necessary
3 “Not Chicken” bouillon cubes
2 bay leaves
1 T dried oregano
2 t garlic powder
salt , pepper and hot sauce to taste

Optional: smoked salt instead of regular, two tablespoons of refried beans to thicken broth, any leftover vegetables or beans from the fridge.

Instructions:

In a large soup pot, sauté onion, carrots, and celery in the oils until the onions become translucent. Add parsnip/turnip and butternut squash/sweet potato and sauté about 5 minutes more. Add the remainder of the ingredients making sure everything is covered with water. Simmer covered for at least 30 minutes. Freeze leftovers.