I’ve always been pretty good in the kitchen. When I was growing up, I’d make this or that and I did a decent job of taking care of myself. Of course, most dinners were made by my mother, but for all the in-betweens, I’d like to think I was handy at whatever the kitchen threw at me. It wasn’t until I moved out of the house and went away to college that I realized that me making myself a sandiwch wasn’t just an option, it was a necessity. There were no more dinners magically prepared and if I didn’t get to the grocery store to buy groceries, I simply wouldn’t eat. This was a bit depressing to think about because I wasn’t looking forward to going to the grocery store. For the rest of my life. Somehow that didn’t seem fair, but I digress. It was fair and it’s called life.
It wasn’t until years later that I turned ordinary, everyday cooking into a sport. I had to trick myself into thinking that wandering into the kitchen after it got dark outside to make something to eat was somehow fun. The tricking worked, the cooking became a habit and now I honestly look forward to tackling all different types of recipes. There’s something like 400 different recipes on this blog right now and I only began it a few years ago. That’s not bad, considering I primarily use this for motivation to keep going and to organize all the different dishes I’ve previously prepared. My entire Thanksgiving dinner is coming from recipes I posted here. I went through the site last night and I was so excited as I picked things out. “Ooh, I remember that one. This one was good!” You should have seen me. I was adorable.
As fun as making all these different dishes can be, there are days where I want to just throw some stuff in a pot and turn on the stove. I can’t dwell on cooking all the time. It’s not possible. Sometimes I’m just drained and I don’t even want to think about food, much less go into the kitchen to prepare something that I need to follow directions for. Sometimes I need something easy, which brings me to today’s soup. This one is easy.
The Recipe
If you can cut up some potatoes, carrots and celery, you can get the ingredients you need into a pot for this soup to cook all by itself. There’s no browning or frying or broiling with this one. All it is is some prep work and then a nice simmer for half an hour. What you’ll be left with is a perfect pot full of vegetable soup that includes those potatoes, carrots and celery I just mentioned, plus some tomato and white beans. It’s filling, it tastes good and it’s the perfect soup to throw together after a long day to satisfy your family. Trust me.
Ingredients
Serves: 6-8
4 Carrots, Sliced
4 Celery Stalks, Sliced
6 Red Potatoes, Cubed
1 Large Onion, Chopped
6 Cups Vegetable Broth
1 28-Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes
2 14-Ounce Cans White Beans (Great Northern, Navy, etc.)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Dried Italian Herb Mixture
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank both Curtis Stone and AllRecipes for this recipe. I took ideas from both resources and merged them into something I concocted. The results came out wonderfully, if I don’t say so myself.
Prep All the Vegetables
Cut the carrots, celery, red potatoes and onion up and toss the pieces in a large pot.
Simmer the Soup
Add in the broth, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper and herbs. Turn the heat to high and wait for the liquid in the pot to come to a boil. When it does, cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes. After that, turn off the heat.
Finally, drain the canned beans and add them to the pot as well. Stir everything up and you’re finished.
Plate & Serve
Divide the soup up between bowls and serve. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
The Final Vegetable Soup
This soup really is the easiest you’re going to find to make. It’s the “prep and cook” type I just love. I put together a nice large pot full of it last night, so I’m good for a while. I’ll be making this one again. If you decide to give this a try, please let me know your thoughts in the comment section down below. Thanks for reading!
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