Turns out it’s flu season. I probably should have seen the signs when people were starting to sniffle. But I’ve been running around so much that I haven’t given myself the chance to recognize that I should be prepping by body for flu season (eating more vegetables, taking vitamins, using hand sanitizer like it’s my lifeline).
So when the flu snuck up on me, well, Andy came to the rescue with the entire produce aisle to make soup. And it wasn’t just vegetables he like, he even went and bought a leek (I think only so he could make puns, like “there’s a leak/leek in this bag.” Funny, honey.)
Anyway, turns out this was super easy to make, and although we might have lost some ingredients from the supermarket to the house (bacon, fresh parsley, and a potato magically disappeared), it was a delicious vegetable soup.
Garden Vegetable Soup
Gather
2 medium leeks, chopped, white part only
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds
1 large potato
2 quarts of chicken stock or vegetable broth
1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes
1 8.5-oz can of whole corn kernels, drained
1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon of dried parsley
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
Ground sea salt, to season
Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add leeks, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Sweat until they often (about 8 minutes). Add carrots and potatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, corn kernels, and black pepper. Reduce the heat to low. Cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender (about 25 to 30 minutes). Remove from heat and add dried parsley and lemon juice. Taste, and add sea salt as needed.
Serve with saltine crackers. Soup can be refrigerated and later reheated.
seasoning