Sunday, January 25, 2009

Soup's On And The House Smells GOOD!

It is a wonderful, slow Sunday at Allhaven. I'm listening to Scott Shallaway on the radio, geese are in the pasture, birds are at the feeders and soup is cooking on the stove. I wish you could enjoy a blissful whiff - oh... the aroma is heavenly. Soup is good food for the soul. I love to make soup in the winter. Pure sustenance.

Making soup is a spiritual experience. The art of soup making provides nourishment for the body and soul. When I gather all the wonderful ingredients to make a steaming pot of vitamins I can't help but feel grateful. I know I am abundently blessed to be able to make this simple pot of vegetarian soup.

I start with many vegetables.


Cutting the onions is easy with what I call my little, magic, chopper.


SMASH! Fast, no-tear onions!


Now I know the next step does not sound very spiritual. I kill the onions. I don't just cook them until translucent - I KILL them. I boil them until the water is gone, add more water and simmer again. Then, to make them a bit sweeter, I add a few teaspoons of sugar. The 16 calories per teaspoon practically disappears in the huge pot of soup.


I love mushrooms so they are next in the pot, with a bit of olive oil. The juices simmer and make the base for the soup.


All the fresh vegetables are added next. The carrots, celery, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and spinach are cut, chopped or diced and tossed in and covered with water.


It is then time to wash and add the beautiful beans.


Add the can of Muir Glen Tomatoes and then the mixture of spices and herbs. The colonel had his "secret blend" and so do I.


It is time to simmer - the longer the better. I think it tastes best the next day. Yes! I'll be taking soup to school for tomorrow's lunch.


Maybe next weekend I'll make potato soup. No! No! I'll make a humongous pot of chili for the big game! Go Pittsburgh Steelers!

4 comments:

Marta McDowell said...

Wow, I can almost smell it, wafting up the stairs to my office. Thank you for sharing, Kathleen. And where'd you get that amazing onion machine?

Kathleen said...

My chopper has a new name: The Amazing Onion Machine! Thanks! It is very handy. I got it on sale at Macy's a few years ago.

Sheri said...

Okay, now I'm really hungry! Your soup looks so tasty. I'm running out to Macy's for the Amazing Onion chopper!

Kathleen said...

Sheri,

You make me smile. I really do appreciate my chopper. Put the veggie in, slame the lid, done!