Divas on a Dime: Pot of Vegetable Soup

By Patti Diamond

Why a Pot of Vegetable Soup Is the Best January Reset

Does last week already feel like a month ago? We often begin the new year with the best of intentions, and the trick is making them sustainable. I've learned that real life rarely responds well to extremes, but it does respond to support.

The gentlest and most effective reset doesn't come from cutting things out; it comes from putting the right things in. A pot of nourishing soup simmering on the stove is a simple, steady way to care for yourself and the people you love, one meal at a time.

A colorful, vegetable-rich soup is a simple way to nourish yourself one meal at a time. PHOTO CREDIT: www.JasonCoblentz.com

A colorful, vegetable-rich soup offers more than comfort. Different colors provide different plant compounds that reduce inflammation, support immunity and overall wellbeing, which is why "eating the rainbow" matters. Plant-forward meals also give digestion a welcome break from heavier animal proteins, allowing the gut to settle after a season of indulgence.

My trick for deeply flavorful vegetable soup is building layers of flavor before adding any liquid. I start with a classic mirepoix of onion, carrot and celery, sauteed slowly until soft and lightly browned. That browning brings out the vegetables' natural sweetness. Once the base is fragrant and sweet, I add the remaining vegetables and saute them too.

To help everything brown and boost flavor, I toss the vegetables with seasoned vegetable soup base (Better Than Bouillon) loosened with a tablespoon of olive oil. This coats the vegetables, deepens the flavor and replaces the need for cartons of vegetable broth. It's an ingredient that costs more upfront but saves money over time, making it a smart, frugal staple in my kitchen.

Seasonal Vegetables

This is a flexible, clean-out-the-crisper soup. Use whatever vegetables are in season, ripe in your garden or priced to move at the store. In spring, think peas, asparagus or leeks. Summer welcomes corn, tomatoes and bell peppers. Fall is perfect for squash and cabbage. In winter, use sturdy vegetables like potatoes, peppers and kale. The method stays the same. The vegetables change with the season and the sales.

GENTLE RESET VEGETABLE SOUP

Yield: 16 cups

Total Time: 1 hour

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 large, sweet or white onion, chopped

• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 3 celery stalks, chopped

• 2 tablespoons vegetable soup base (like Better Than Bouillon)

• 4 cups seasonal vegetables, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes

• 8 cups water

• 1 (15.5 ounce) can great northern beans, drained

• 2 cups leafy greens like kale, chopped (thick ribs removed)

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the vegetable soup base with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Add the seasonal vegetables to the pot, followed by the soup base mixture, stirring to coat. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until the vegetables are lightly browned and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices and the water, scraping up any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, then partially cover, reduce heat and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.

Uncover and add the beans and chopped greens. Simmer until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the vinegar and season generously with black pepper and salt to taste. Serve hot with crusty bread.

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Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the penny-pinching, party-planning, recipe developer and content creator of the website Divas On A Dime -- Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! Visit Patti at www.divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at divapatti@divasonadime.com

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