Secret Soup
Some people eschew frozen vegetables, but they are often more nutritious than fresh ones that have been shipped from far away. They are usually flash-frozen at the farm, resulting in more nutrients being preserved; vegetables that are allowed to age before cooking lose some of their nutritional value.
Some people eschew frozen vegetables, but they are often more nutritious than fresh ones that have been shipped from far away. They are usually flash-frozen at the farm, resulting in more nutrients being preserved; vegetables that are allowed to age before cooking lose some of their nutritional value.
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 5 -6 cups vegetable broth
- 16 -ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 16-ounce cans beans rinsed and drained (i usually use 1 great northern and 1 kidney
- 2 1-pound bags of frozen vegetables (my favorites are california blend [cauliflower, broccoli, and c
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoons oregano
- black pepper and salt to taste
- Carbohydrate 3.16370312498595 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.174484062496608 g
- Fiber 1.48045619642632 g
- Protein 1.5384953124833 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0237936249997827 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (112g)
- Sodium 31.3865312499788 mg
- Sugar 1.68324692855964 g
- Trans Fat 0.0484472499993534 g
- Calories 17 calories
Step-by-step
- OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup small pasta OR 2 cups diced potatoes OR 1 cup frozen corn or other starchy vegetable OR 1/2 cup of quick-cooking grain (pearled barley, millet, or quinoa) or cooked rice
- Put 5 cups of vegetable broth and all remaining ingredients into a large pot and cook until vegetables are done, about 20-30 minutes. If the soup seems too thick, add more broth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.
Swapping canned beans for soaked dried legumes fundamentally alters the moisture balance and demands an extra hour of simmering time. Cooks frequently ruin vegetable-heavy pots by boiling the mixture too vigorously, which reduces delicate aromatics to mush and breaks down broccoli florets prematurely. Maintain a gentle simmer at roughly 200 degrees Fahrenheit rather than a rolling boil. Introduce minced garlic toward the middle of the cooking window if a sharper allium bite is desired, or add it with the broth for a mellower background flavor. Frozen produce introduces significant surface water as ice crystals melt into the pot. Monitor the broth levels carefully during the first fifteen minutes of heat application to compensate for this unexpected dilution. Salt should be withheld entirely until the final ten minutes of reduction. Adding sodium too early draws moisture out of the beans unevenly, resulting in chalky interiors despite hours of heat exposure. Store leftovers in an airtight glass container for up to four days at 38 degrees Fahrenheit or freeze immediately for longer preservation.
