Vegetable Soup

I make a fabulous all vegetable soup. It's a great way to get in your daily servings of veggies when enjoying the comfort of soup on a cold day. I try to make sure I have as many different color groups as I can for as many nutrients as possible. You can add other vegetables that you like to the mix; don't limit yourself to just these.

Core ingredients:
Onion (medium)
Minced Garlic (to taste)
Zucchini (1-2 c.)
Carrots (1-2 c.)
Diced tomatoes (1 can, with mild green chilies or Italian style)
Chicken or beef broth (1 can)
Dried basil (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

Supplemental ingredients (all or selected ones):
Red skin potatoes (1 c. cut bite sized)
Cauliflower (1 c.)
Corn (1/2 c.)
Bell peppers (1 c.)
Asparagus (1 c.)
Yellow squash (1 c.)
Seasoning salt (to taste)

Toppings (if desired):
Parmesan cheese (1 tbsp)
Seasoned croutons (4-6)

Saute onions and garlic in large pan. Ocassionally stir while choping vegetables into bite sized pieces. Add the harder vegetables (carrots and potatoes) to the onions and garlic and pour in the diced tomatoes and broth. When mixture begins to boil add remaining vegetables and bring to a boil once again. Lower heat and let simmer for 20-25 minutes while stiring occassionally.

Recipe make approximately 8 cups of soup. Each cup is 55 calories without potatoes and corn and 85 calories with the more starchy vegetables. I typically serve this up in 2 cup servings to make sure that we get a good hearty dose of vegetables. Eat and enjoy!