What's For Supper?: April 2013

I stopped by a fruit stand earlier this week to check out the strawberries. I walked out with a cart load of fresh fruit and vegetables -- mangoes, avocados, squash, zucchini, corn, onions, and tomatoes. I'm so ready for summer. The mangoes have been great for breakfast and the tomatoes are fantastic with a little salt and pepper, but what to do with the other veggies. After the long week centered around the events in Boston, I needed some comfort food -- soup. I created this recipe several years ago when we had a garden, so I pulled it out, made a few changes, and the rest is history.

I like easy and this is. It's made in layers and from the moment the carrots and celery go in, there is a wonderful aroma that permeates the kitchen.

Garden Vegetable Soup

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

3 stalks of celery, sliced (including leaves)

3 carrots, sliced

1 large onion, sliced

2-3 sweet peppers (I used several sweet salad peppers)

2 zucchini, sliced

3 yellow squash, sliced

3 tomatoes, diced

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. sweet basil

4 c. vegetable broth (or whatever broth you prefer)

Begin by heating the olive oil and garlic in a 5-6 quart pot over low heat. Spread carrots and celery over the bottom, Add a layer of onion, then peppers, then zucchini, then squash, and finally tomatoes. (Of course you can add whatever else you'd like. I had some leftover corn and beans, so they went in too.) Sprinkle veggies with seasonings and cover. Do not stir. Cook covered, over low to medium heat for 20 minutes or until the vegetables start releasing their liquid. Do not remove the cover for at least 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, add vegetable broth and return to a low boil, stirring as needed. Cook until tender, not mushy.