Sometimes you just had a bad day (or month)
and you need some comforting soup.
That remind you of home.
That remind you of your childhood.
That remind you that winter does have some advantages after all.
(Well, one advantage... soup.)
A soup that will be ready in an hour
and
will be a whole-meal-one-plate.
So when I received yesterday a bag of mini croutons,
one of my favorite things in the world,
I know I will not rest until I'll make a soup that will make me feel better.
A soup full of vegetable cut to little tiny pieces.
(To match the mini croutons size of course)
The first thing that came to my mind was frozen vegetable soup.
As much as I love fresh vegetables, I must admit,
I love cooking with frozen vegetable as well.
Especially soups, because the frozen vegetables keep their shape,
and because it reminds me of home (for real! It's a family thing...).
So I mixed some frozen veggies to the party.
I got the pumpkin whole just because i'm a sucker for specials.
"One time thing- get them while you can!" they said.
I had no choice but to buy the pumpkin and not miss my sole opportunity.
(these things are hard to peel! next time ill look for the frozen version)
And since I wanted to give it an Italian touch, or maybe just to be able to say I made fancy minestrone, I added some short pasta.
And I added some tofu to add some protein.
And I added some tofu to add some protein.
Finalize it with some smoked paprika, which just makes everything taste better.
Ahhhh the aroma!
Can you smell it??
Ahhhh the aroma!
Can you smell it??
So go get some frozen veggies because this is going to be delicious!
VEGETABLES SOUP:
The Fresh:
1 Onion chopped
1 Pumpkin cut to small pieces
1 Sweet Potato cut to small pieces
3 Garlic cloths cut to small pieces
1 Box of Mushrooms cut to small pieces
1/2 box of Tofu cut to small pieces
Some Olive oil to saute the veggies
The Frozen:
1 cup Peas
1 cup Corn
1 cup Broccoli
1 cup Brussels Sprout (Only if your kids are culinary curious like I was...)
The Fun:
1 can of White Beans
1 cup of Short Pasta
2 Tsp: Smoked Paprika, Salt.
1/2 Tsp: Fresh Ground Pepper, Chili Flakes, Dry Basil
Mini Croutons (just like making croutons - just make them very small! like 1/4 inch cube)
Parmesan Cheese
*Small pieces = about 1/2 inch. Doesn't have to be perfect square, they will all be swimming together anyway.
** What is fun about this recipe is that you can play with the vegetables! just change them if you feel like it.
Saute the fresh veggies gradually (first the Onion, Garlic, Sweet Potato and Pumpkin, and finally Mushrooms) for a few minutes,
just to get the Olive oil to cover them and for them to get a bit softer.
Add the frozen veggies and about 6/7 cups of water.
Add the beans and tofu and bring to boil.
Once Boiled add the spices and let it cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes.
Add the Pasta and let it cook for about 15 more minutes. If you need more liquids add them but let it come to boil again before you add the pasta.
Serve with some Mini Croutons and Parmesan Cheese on top and Enjoy.
