9-29-11 Dinner Blog

Mexican Vegetable Soup

I was going to convert this recipe to a crock pot recipe today; but I decided to make it on the stove top, as originally intended.  More on that in my next blog…

Tonight, I began by heating the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.  To that I added garlic (pressed plus the skins), onions, and cumin.  I stirred and sautéed for 10 minutes.

Then I poured in the vegetable stock, tomatoes with their juice, and added 2 t salt.  I brought the soup to a boil, and then added the carrots, cooking 3-4 minutes longer.  Next I added the rest of the frozen okra slices – they were not part of the recipe, but when was I going to use the rest of the frozen okra?  Best to camouflage it in a soup and use it up!  3-4 minutes later, I added the frozen corn, kidney beans, and the zucchini. I was smiling the entire time because I had purchased chopped onions and had chopped the carrots and zucchini on Sunday.  So the only thing I had to do was press the garlic!  It was so easy and I was feeling good!

Then I turned off the soup, and using a hand-held blender, blended some of the soup, making sure to leave some chunks of vegetables.

Mexican Vegetable Soup Cooking on the Stove

The soup sat for about 20 minutes while I waited for my husband to come home, at which time, I warmed up the soup again.  I sprinkled grated cheese on the top and served with toasted 7 Grain Flaxseed Bread.

5 Servings of Mexican Vegetable Soup

Total time:  About 28 minutes (Does not include 20 minutes waiting for my husband)

The Verdict

Another winner!  Two thumbs up!  My husband, my son and his guest all rated the soup a 9.  My daughter rated the soup a 7 ¾ – I am still trying to understand her methodology…  She was looking for more flavor.  (Do you think she tasted the okra?!?!) Everyone else said it had great flavor and thought it was a very satisfying soup!  Only my husband had seconds.  Even I was quite satisfied after one bowl.

Would I make Mexican Vegetable soup again?  Absolutely! I can see how it is a very forgiving recipe. You can add any/all vegetables (almost any) leftover in your refrigerator, and I believe it will still taste great.  And to test this theory,  I have enough soup for one more meal AND I have some leftover green onions and parsley.  I am going to add them to the soup and will let you know how THAT tastes!