Chock Full of Vegetables Sipping Soup.

Are you looking for ways to get vegetables on the table and into your family? Here too. Even though it is only the two of us, and I can serve anything I want without complaints...vegetables sometimes take a back seat at meals. But Chock Full of Vegetables Sipping Soup soup can help you change all that, perfect as a pick me up or a go-with along side a sandwich. 

It all started with that first mug of Mushroom Potato Soup.

From that first mug, I knew I needed to come up with another flavor of sipping soup. What exactly is sipping soup? It is a mixture of your favorite flavors in a soup that is broth-y enough to be sipped from a mug. A mug that can be held between your hands as they warm up and you enjoy the savory steam coming off the soup. A soup full of vegetables and bone broth, and herbs, and flavor! Of course we all know all soup can be enjoyed from a mug, but there is something enjoyable about not needing a spoon or crackers on the side. Plus it is a wonderful way to get in your veggies for the day!

You may know, that one of my hashtags is #eatmorevegetables. 

And for good reason. They are good for you, and honestly since they are not as easy as fruit to work into daily food intake, I decided to make them a priority. And this Chock Full of Vegetables Sipping Soup is the perfect way to eat more vegetables, easily. A mug of soup is great as a pick me up in the afternoon. It is also perfect as a beverage along side a sandwich for lunch or even dinner. But more importantly it is not a mug of empty nutrition. Which can happen so easily when we are searching for something to fill us up, yet are short on time. 

The process is simple, and you can use your favorite vegetables. 

I actually got the idea from my daughter. She made a pot tomato soup for my grandson, but it was actually full of vegetables, containing enough tomatoes to offer a rich red color. He gladly ate it with a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, never really knowing how many other vegetables he was eating. I took the idea and customized it for the flavor profile I was looking for. Which for me, means less tomatoes...But there is absolutely no right or wrong way to make this soup. It is completely adaptable and perfect with just about any group of vegetables you choose. Which could be said of soup in general.

 

While I have some general rules for soup, none are absolute. 

I prefer using bone broth or stock over bouillon. But if I am out of bone broth (why are bones so hard to find?) bouillon will do. I always add as many vegetables as possible. I like a rich flavor! Lots of onions, garlic, and herbs. Personally I have cut back on the amount of tomatoes I use, but if you love them, by all means, add more! And the other item that does make a difference is which potato to use. Unless it is a chowder, where russet potatoes shine, I use yellow or red potatoes, the waxy type. And for any pureed soup, frequently I do not peel the vegetables. Everything will buzz up nicely and the fiber is good for us. From my perspective, soup is the perfect meal to make when we, cook with what we have. 

Some additional thoughts on this recipe:

Without getting too personal, the issue of fiber will be one we each need to address. In their natural state vegetables are a great source of fiber, and some more than others. With that said, use the vegetables you enjoy the most!

If you enjoy soup with more tomato flavor, by all means use more. Either in the form of additional tomato paste or a can of diced tomatoes. 

Leaving out the potatoes will produce a thinner soup, or you can leave the potatoes in and after pureeing add additional bouillon to achieve the desired thickness you prefer for sipping.

Prepping the vegetables only takes a moment, everything is washed and coarsely chopped, that's it!

And remember, you are cooking for your family, so cook what they like!

Ingredients needed for this recipe:

• bone broth or bouillon
• onion
• garlic
• celery
• carrots
• zucchini
• cauliflower
• new waxy potatoes
• tomato paste
• salt
• pepper
• ground bay leaves
• thyme leaves

You will also need the following:

• a large stock pot with lid
• cutting board
• kitchen knife
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• large kitchen spoon
• stick blender
• freezer containers with lids

Now we are ready to begin!

Chock Full of Vegetables Sipping Soup

by the seat of my pants

Inspired by: Jessica!

1 onion

2 ribs celery

4 cloves garlic

2 or 3 small waxy new potatoes

2 zucchini

3 large carrots

1 medium head of cauliflower

2 QT. bone stock, meat broth or bouillon, beef or chicken, your choice. 

2 t salt

1/4 t fresh ground pepper

1/4 t Ground Bay Leaves

1 - 2 t thyme leaves, crumbled

Peel the onion, set aside. Trim the end of the celery, wash and set aside. Peel the garlic, set aside. Wash and trim the ends of the carrots, set aside. Wash the potatoes, set aside. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, rinse and set aside. 

Place the stock pot on the stop, one by one, cut the vegetables into one inch pieces and drop into the stock pot. Add the seasonings, tomato paste and then the stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Stir and continue cooking only until all the vegetables are tender, but not over cooked. Remove the stock pot from the stove and let cool briefly. 

When cool to your satisfaction, use a stick blender to puree the mixture. Taste and adjust if needed with additional salt and pepper. If too thick for your preferences, add additional stock. Divide into freezer containers and freeze. 

Storage options for Chock Full of Vegetables Sipping Soup. You may store the pureed soup (before freezing) for up to three days. Once frozen, remove from the freezer and let thaw, heat and serve. The frozen containers of Chock Full of Vegetables Sipping Soup can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

UPDATE:  For your convenience, a "copy and paste" version of Chock Full of Vegetables Sipping Soup has been included below. 

You may also enjoy: 

Dreaming of Manhattan Clam Chowder. 

#eatmorevegetables!

#wholefoodingredients

#scratchmadefoodforyourfamily

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Printable "copy and paste" version:

Chock Full of Vegetables Sipping Soup

by the seat of my pants

Inspired by: Jessica!

1 onion

2 ribs celery

4 cloves garlic

2 or 3 small waxy new potatoes

2 zucchini

3 large carrots

1 medium head of cauliflower

2 Qts. bone stock or bouillon, beef or chicken, your choice. 

2 t salt

1/4 t fresh ground pepper

1/4 t Ground Bay Leaves

1 - 2 t thyme leaves, crumbled

Peel the onion, set aside. Trim the end of the celery, wash and set aside. Peel the garlic, set aside. Wash and trim the ends of the carrots, set aside. Wash the potatoes, set aside. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, rinse and set aside. 

Place the stock pot on the stop, one by one, cut the vegetables into one inch pieces and drop into the stock pot. Add the seasonings, tomato paste and then the stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Stir and continue cooking only until all the vegetables are tender, but not over cooked. Remove the stock pot from the stove and let cool briefly. 

When cool to your satisfaction, use a stick blender to puree the mixture. Taste and adjust if needed with additional salt and pepper. If too thick for your preferences, add additional stock. Divide into freezer containers and freeze. 

Storage options for Chock Full of Vegetables Sipping Soup. You may store the pureed soup (before freezing) for up to three days. Once frozen, remove from the freezer and let thaw, heat and serve. The frozen containers of Chock Full of Vegetables Sipping Soup can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

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