Recipe: Big Batch Vegetable Soup

I love soup. No, I mean I really LOVE soup. Lately, with the arrival of colder weather, I've been wanting soup even more than normal. Soup with a sandwich, soup with crackers, soup with bread. Warm, hearty, satisfying. Here is a soup recipe that I have made a few times and it is delicious. I hope you will try it because I know you will love it, too!

Big Batch Vegetable Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8 - with generous portions

Nutrition Info - Per Serving
Calories: 188 kcal Carbs: 33 g Fiber: 8 g Protein: 6 g Sugar: 5 g

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped or thinly sliced onions or leeks
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2 tsp Italian seasoning
Coarse salt and ground pepper
44 oz reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 Tbsp tomato paste
8 cups mixed fresh or frozen vegetables, such as carrots, corn, green beans, Lima beans, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, potatoes, and zucchini (cut larger vegetables into smaller pieces).

My Notes
I have used a jar of prepared spaghetti sauce in place of the canned tomatoes. Add a dash of wine (white or red) in the broth for a little extra zip. Add an entire large-size, frozen prepared vegetable lasagna (from Costco) which has almost all of the ingredients already in it--just add the seasonings and liquids as per the regular recipe. The mozzarella cheese on the frozen lasagna adds an extra element of smokiness to the soup...yum.

Cooking Directions
1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions or leeks, celery, and Italian seasoning; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.

2. Add broth, tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, and 3 cups water to pot; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, 20 minutes.

3. Add vegetables to pot, and return to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Let cool before storing.

Serve with bread, crackers, or any other side-kind-of-food that you like with your soup.

Recipe is from Martha Stewart and, yes, it is a GOOD thing.