Tag Archives: Vegetable Soup

Mexican Vegetable Soup

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Mexican Vegetable Soup

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. As Chef Melanie of Simple Gourmet is quick to remind me, the flavor can “cook out” of a meal when you are using a crock pot if you don’t use savory flavors. Not having time to figure it out and not wanting to risk it, I used the stove.

Tonight, I was squeezing dinner prep in between carpools. 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 frozen okra slices – they were not part of the original recipe, but I had some leftover from a previous recipe. When was I going to use the rest of the frozen okra? Best to camouflage it in a soup and use it up! (Since no one really noticed, I have included okra in the recipe.) 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! Time was on my side. 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 drove a quick carpool and waited for my husband to come home. Once we were ready to sit down, I warmed up the soup again. I sprinkled grated cheese on the top and served with toasted 7 Grain Flaxseed Bread.

Total time: About 28 minutes (Does not include 20 minutes driving carpool and 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!

5 Servings of Mexican Vegetable Soup

Recipe

Mexican Vegetable Soup

Serves 2 Adults and 2 Kids for 2 Meals

Ingredients

¼ C olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced – include skin

2 large onions, diced

1 1/2 t ground cumin

1 28 oz. can of tomatoes, chopped with their juice

8 C vegetable stock, ½ regular, ½ low sodium

2 t salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

2 carrots, thinly sliced

10 oz. frozen corn

1/2 package frozen okra (I’ll try to come up with a recipe for the rest soon…)

3 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into sixths, then into 1-inch chunks

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

grated cheese (optional)

tortilla chips (optional)

plain yogurt

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
2. Saute garlic, onions, and cumin for 10 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add tomatoes with their juice, vegetable stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
4. Add carrots and cook 3-4 more minutes.
5. Add corn and okra and cook 3-4 more minutes.
6. Add zucchini and kidney beans and cook 2-3 more minutes.
7. Using a hand blender, puree about half of the soup, be sure to leave chunks of vegetables!
8. Serve with grated cheese, broken corn chips, a dollop of plain yogurt, or just eat it straight out of the soup pot!
9. Think about putting some in a thermos for kids’ lunches or label (with Contents and Date) and freeze the other half for one of those crazy nights when you need something fast…
Pre-Prep Opportunities
1. Prepare as much of the recipe up through step 7 as you have time for. You could be ready to sit down for dinner a day early!
grated cheese (optional)

Recipe: Mexican Vegetable Soup

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For 2 Adults and 2 Kids (For 2 Meals)

Mexican Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

¼ C Olive oil

4 Garlic cloves, minced – include skin

2 Large onions, diced

1 1/2 t Ground cumin

1 28 oz. Can of tomatoes, chopped with their juice (You can also use a 28 oz. container of POM tomatoes in a shelf-stable, non-can package)

8 C Vegetable stock, ½ regular, ½ low sodium

2 t Salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

2 Carrots, thinly sliced

10 oz. Frozen corn

The rest of the frozen okra leftover from the Chicken Gumbo recipe

3 Medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into sixths, then into 1-inch chunks

1 15 oz. Can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Grated cheese (optional)

Corn chips (optional)

Plain yogurt

Dinner Prep:

  1. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
  2. Saute garlic, onions, and cumin for 10 minutes, stirring often.
  3. Add tomatoes with their juice, vegetable stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
  4. Add carrots and cook 3-4 more minutes.
  5. Add corn and okra and cook 3-4 more minutes.
  6. Add zucchini and kidney beans and cook 2-3 more minutes.
  7. Using a hand blender, puree about half of the soup, be sure to leave chunks of vegetables!
  8. Serve with grated cheese, broken corn chips, a dollop of plain yogurt, or just eat it straight out of the soup pot!

Mexican Vegetable Soup

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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!