Vegetarian Vegetable Soup Recipe

After a week of eating in various meals all of our wonderful vegetable finds from the Farmer's Market, we still had some leftovers to use up at the end of the week. What better dish than vegetable soup to serve as a catch-all for leftover vegetables that we wanted to save from spoiling?

This vegetarian vegetable soup with carrots, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, corn, and more is a simple classic packed with nutrition. I love to have it in the winter for a warm vegetable-filled meal, but it also makes a great end-of-the-week summer clean-up meal to put all of your vegetable leftovers into. To give it a little kick, feel free to add a cayenne pepper or some hot sauce. (Here's a recipe for homemade fire-roasted habanero hot sauce).

(This soup is both vegetarian and vegan).

Vegetarian Vegetable Soup Recipe

serves at least four heartily

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a large onion
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 2 carrots
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 medium potatoes
• 2 summer squash (or zucchini)
• 1 1/2 cups green beans (cut up)
• 1 can of corn
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pint vegetable broth *
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
• black pepper to taste

* If you are not using homemade broth, check the package to be sure that it has all vegetable ingredients.

Preparation Instructions:

1. Peel the garlic and onion. Wash the celery, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, summer squash, and green beans. Crush the garlic with the flat of the knife and then slice thinly. Coarsely chop the onion. Slice the celery and carrots into rounds. Cut the tomatoes, potatoes, and summer squash into bite-sized pieces. Cut the green beans into bite sized pieces (measuring out one and one half cups).

2. In a large soup pot over medium heat, sauté the onion, garlic, and celery in olive oil until the onions have become slightly browned and have started to turn translucent. Once they reach this stage, add the salt, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, summer squash, green beans, corn, and bay leaves. Mix well, and cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the vegetable broth, red wine, water, and red wine vinegar. Mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a strong simmer and cook for about an hour, or until potatoes are done. Season to taste with the freshly ground black pepper.

4. Serve with some hearty toasted bread. Enjoy!