It’s super warm and sunny. It’s super cold and snowing over a foot! You never know what you’re going to get these days with the weather. During that cold snowy spell, I hunkered down and made soups. Soups are generally a crowd pleaser in my family. I tend to make a big batch and freeze any leftovers for those days I don’t have time to cook. Plus, they’re a great option for lunch boxes! Yes, I need to pack a lunch for my kids 7 days a week during the winter season. I’m not going lie, it’s tough. Since I’m not a morning person, soups are my go-to option for quick and easy healthy lunches for the kids.
I make homemade veggie broth weekly in my pressure cooker. It’s so easy and a great way to use all those vegetable trimmings. No waste and super nutritious – a win, win! Through homemade veggie broth, you can capture a wide spectrum of nutrition by using a lot of different vegetables. My concoction varies depending on what I’m cooking that week and the produce I have on hand. I typically always have certain vegetables as the base: unpeeled onions, carrots, celery, kombu (a type of seaweed), garlic, herbs, bay leaf. The additional vegetables can vary and include broccoli stems, asparagus ends, kale stems, Swiss chard stems, parsnips, potatoes, carrot ends, the options are endless. Do you tend to throw out veggies that are at the end of their freshness? Don’t throw them away! Produce like slightly wilted green leafy vegetables are a great addition to your veggie broth. Use your judgement – if it’s moved into the rotting category, then skip it 😉
GOOD COLD WEATHER SOUP
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 leeks white part only, sliced thinly
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ Tbsp dried Italian herbs
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 9 cups homemade veggie broth recipe below, or water
- ¾ cup Great Northern dried beans soaked
- ¼ cup brown basmati rice
- 1 bunch Swiss chard stemmed and chopped
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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In a soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add leeks, celery, peppers and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add herbs and diced tomatoes, and continue to cook for another couple minutes. Add veggie broth (or water) and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for about 40 minutes, until beans are almost done. Add rice. Continue simmering covered for another 20 minutes, or until rice is finished cooking. Add Swiss chard and allow to wilt, another few minutes. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.