Homemade Soup Day

At the beginning of this week, I wrote some thoughts about National Freedom Day. Today's topic is also about a day of "national" recognition, but it's less serious and a whole lot tastier!

February 4th was somehow designated as National Homemade Soup Day.

Numerous references to it can be found on social media and the Internet. Curious, I did a fairly in-depth google search, but couldn't find much information about the history of this designated day. There is no mention of what person or organization started this trend or how it gained traction, but National Soup Day is listed on the National Day Calendar.

I'm perfectly fine with soup having its own day. Really, though, any day is a good soup day! 

February 4th was a well-chosen soup day for people in northern climates. There are few foods as comforting as a steaming bowl of soup on a bitterly cold day. For people in more southern regions, a cold soup, such as cold cucumber soup or a gazpacho would be a perfect choice this time of year.

Last weekend, a friend sent me a photo of the soup she had just made. It looked so pretty and so tasty, I asked her for the recipe. 

Soup recipes are usually pretty forgiving and easily adjusted.

Yesterday, I decided my friend's soup was the perfect thing to make for dinner. However, I didn't have all of the suggested ingredients on hand, and I had some other vegetables I wanted to use up. But versatility is one of the great things about making soup. I simply used the recipe as a guide and modified it quite a bit.

Like the original recipe, my soup was quick and easy to prepare. My husband and I thought it was delicious. I think you'll like it, too!

 

Vegetable Soup with Pasta, Beans, and Greens

Printable recipe: Click here

Ready in 30 minutes; Serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced in rounds
• 2 celery sticks, sliced
• 1 or 2 tbsp olive oil (enough to coat bottom of the pot)
• 1 small turnip, quartered and sliced
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained
• 32 to 48 oz vegetable broth or chicken broth (see note)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 cup pasta (elbow, bowtie, or orecchiette all work well)
• 1 bunch kale, rinsed, stemmed, and chopped into bite-size pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

• 1. Put oil in a large soup pot and heat over medium heat.  
• 2. Add carrots, celery, and onion,. Cook until nearly soft. 
• 3. Add turnip,zucchini and garlic; continue cooking until softened.

• 4. Add tomatoes, beans, broth, and seasonings. Bring to a boil.
• 5. Add dry pasta to the boiling soup. Cook a few minutes less than suggested on the package. 
• 6. Add kale and cook an additional 5 minutes, until kale is wilted.
• 7. Serve hot and enjoy!

Tips

This soup could also be made with chicken broth, but I like using vegetable broth. It deepens the soup's pretty color, gives it a delicious flavor, and keeps it vegetarian-friendly. Feel free to just use 32 oz of broth and thin as desired with water. Just be sure to have enough liquid so the pasta does not absorb it all as it cooks.

This seasoned vegetable base is a wonderful thing to have on hand.

For those of you who might be wondering why I am cooking on a hot plate ... that story is for another day!

What is your favorite homemade soup? When did you last make it?