Recipes

I deem this recipe New Year Vegetable Soup. Why? Because I may have over indulged at Christmas. Because I may have eaten cookies and pie and cake for breakfast multiple mornings. Because I just can’t resist New England fried clams. And because now my jeans feel tight and I feel like I should only eat vegetables for at least a week. This soup is full of veggies, fortified with rich vegetable stock and spices. Next time I would stir in some hearty greens as well. It is kind of like a detox soup for me right now, but will soon become a staple because it is so low in points. Anyone else feeling this way? How do you clean up after the holidays?

New Year Vegetable Soup
Servings: around 6
Serving Size: 1.5 cups
Nutritional Info: 61 calories, .3 g of fat, 13 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 3.4 g of protein * 1 P+

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 leek, chopped
5 cloves garlic
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery diced
4 sprigs (fresh) marjoram or thyme (or a mix)
1 bay leaf
1 small butternut squash, peeled cubed (about 2 cups)
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cabbage, chopped into small chunks
2 zucchini or summer squashes, trimmed and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved
Salt and pepper

Instructions
1. In a heavy soup pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and leek and cook until fragrant and beginning to soften.

2. Add the marjoram (or thyme), bay leaf, butternut squash, 1 tsp of salt, and 1 tsp of black pepper. Stir for 3-4 minutes or until the herbs become fragrant.

3. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes or until the butternut squash is fork tender.

4. Stir in the cabbage, zucchini, and halved cherry tomatoes. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or under tender.

5. Remove from heat and enjoy. This soup freezes well for later use.