Hello Friends! Amazing what one short week can bring. Last week it was business as usual and I think right now most, if not all of us realize that life is not currently business as usual. While this blog is meant to be a happy space free of politics, heavy opinions , etc… it also happens to be a place where I share things with you. And today I felt it to be completely in-genuine for me to not address the elephant in the room…coronavirus. By now, a lot of you are having disruptions to your day to day life (and I hope that none of you are actually having to face the virus itself). For us this week the dominoes began to fall in Atlanta…school closed, my husband is working from home (we’re so grateful this is an option for us), and the aisles of our local grocery stores ransacked. I share none of this to instill fear, nor am I here to tell you how you and your family go about this storm. I think a lot of this depends on where exactly you live, your personal health and the ages and health of the people you care for and your community as a whole. What I’m here to hopefully share is how me and my family are going about all of this during a time that is unprecedented. And that brings us to today’s Sunday Supper Club.
Whether you are self isolating, or whether you too are finding empty grocery store shelves, I thought this week (more than ever) it was important for me and my family to cook with the stuff we’ve got. And while I’m hoping that most of you still have full access to all food items…something tells me that under the current circumstances, that more than likely that’s not the case. So, today I want to remind you that you’re creative and with a little bit of thinking outside the box, yes you too can make healthy, satisfying meals for you and your family! And that brings me to this Vegetable Soup. So simple, so versatile (seriously, substitute for any vegetables, mushrooms, whatever!), and odds are you have some of these staples in your pantry…so let’s get to it…
What You Need
Vegetables…below is what I used, mainly because I had it on hand, you could substitute this out for any fresh, canned or frozen veggies
Onions, chopped
Celery, sliced
Carrots, sliced
Diced Garlic
Canned Tomatoes, ideally diced, I had whole plum, so chopped them myself
Broth, I used beef…chicken or veggie would work as well. No broth? Use water.
Frozen Corn
Frozen Peas
Herbs…fresh, dried…anything to add some depth and flavor. I used fresh oregano, basil & german thyme
Pasta…completely optional. We used ditalini as it’s our new favorite pasta, my kids love it’s tiny demanour.
Oil…I used Olive oil, any could work…or butter, any fat for those veggies.
Salt & Pepper to taste (this dish does require a good amount of salt to add flavor!)
To Make
In a pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add aromatic vegetables…for me I started with onions, celery and carrots until softened, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally and seasoning with salt and pepper. Add chopped garlic, cook another 2-3 minutes. Then add chopped canned tomatoes along with juice. Stir in broth and any additional water to give your veggies enough liquid (add more water if you plan to add any pasta as it will absorb up some of the liquid). Bring to a boil. Add herbs, then lower heat to a simmer. Cook 10-15 minutes. If you’re adding pasta, bring soup to a boil and add pasta, cooking for specified pasta time. If not adding pasta, continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Taste test to ensure pasta is cooked and/or flavors have melded…add additional salt and pepper to taste. Add in frozen veggies…for me that was peas and corn. Cook another 5 minutes or until frozen veggies are warmed through. Serve hot with herb garnish. Enjoy and take care of yourself, your family & your community! Sending love and health your way friends!
Like always I love hearing your thoughts in the comments below! Have good simple recipe ideas to share with the group (especially under current circumstances)?! Please do so in the comments below! We all could use some more inspiration and encouragement!