Tis the season for soup!

Left: Spicy Black Bean / Right: Root Vegetable

Fall is my favorite time of year, I love the cooler weather, the pretty colors on the trees, the clean smell in the air and hot soups to warm me up.

I love soups! Pretty much every kind of soup is a friend to me, so I was very happy yesterday when I spent time turning those wonderful veggies in the photo into soothing soups for the week.

Here are my tops six favorite things about soups:

1. They are easy to prepare.
2. You can throw in almost any ingredient, which is great when you have leftovers or a lot of veggies you don't know what to do with.
3. They are great as a lunch or dinner. 
4. You can make them light or hearty depending on whether or not you want them to be the main attraction or a side dish.
5. They only require simple tools and techniques so that anyone can prepare them.
6. Soups are a great way to add more veggies into your diet.

Yesterday I used the veggies and beans in the picture above to make two different soups. One soup I made in a crock pot and the other I cooked in a pot on the stove. Crock pots are great if you really don't want to do anything. You just add your ingredients and turn it on, 4 - 6 hours later you have hot and yummy soup! Cooking soup on the stove is great if you want is to be done sooner. You can make it in about 30 minutes on the stove depending on what you want in your soup.

Here are some basic tools and ingredients to make your own yummy soups:

Kitchen Tools and Appliances:

• Large pot with a lid.
• Bowls with lids(can be glass or plastic)
• Measuring cup for liquids(2 cup measure).
• Soup Ladle
• Mixing spoon or spatula
• Good kitchen knife for chopping, slicing etc.
• Measuring spoons for Tablespoon and Teaspoon.
• Vegetable Peeler
• Cutting board

Basic Ingredients:

• Canned Diced Tomatoes
• Canned or boxed Vegetable Broth
• Water
• Brown Rice or other whole grain
• Beans - any kind
• Onions
• Carrots
• Celery
• Spices you enjoy. 

I found this basic and easy vegetable soup recipe on www.chow.com.This recipe allows you to easily substitute any vegetables, grains or beans you want to use:

Basic Vegetable Soup Recipe

INGREDIENTS

·         4 teaspoons olive oil

·         1 medium onion, medium dice

·         Kosher salt

·         Freshly ground black pepper

·         2 medium carrots, medium dice

·         2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped

·         1 celery stalk, medium dice

·         2 cups additional vegetables of your choice (such as red pepper, cabbage, asparagus, mushrooms, fennel, or peas), medium dice

·         1 bay leaf (optional)

·         1 pinch dried thyme (optional)

·         1 quart low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

·         1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, medium dice

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large cooking pot over medium-high heat until simmering. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the carrots and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the celery and, if using, any hearty vegetables (such as cabbage and fennel) and the bay leaf and thyme. Season again with salt and pepper and cook an additional 5 minutes.
4.    Add the broth, potatoes, and any quicker-cooking vegetables (such as asparagus and peas). Let the soup come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and gently simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, about 15 to 25 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

 Happy Soup Making!