This delicious soup uses zucchini, pole beans, carrots and tomatoes from the garden that I'd prepped and frozen over the summer then thawed right in the pot. In addition, I added freshly picked cabbage, parsley, oregano and chives from the fall crop.
1 large yellow onion diced
1 1/2 cups diced carrot
1 1/2 cups diced celery
3-4 crushed and minced garlic cloves
6 cups peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
2-3 cups sliced zucchini with juice
2-3 cups cut pole beans with juice
2 cups chopped cabbage
1 can kidney beans drained
1 can cannellini beans drained
2 large cans (49 oz each) reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cubes chicken or vegetable bullion (optional)
2-3 sprigs fresh oregano chopped*
4-5 large sprigs fresh parsley chopped*
2-3 sprigs fresh basil chopped*
bunch chives chopped*
2 cups small red potatoes quartered
salt and pepper to taste
* fresh herbs could be substituted with about 2 tablespoons Italian Herb Seasoning.
Sweat the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in olive oil in a large soup pot. Put all remaining ingredients into the pot and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
This makes easily 12-16 servings.
(Side note: I'd originally made this recipe with elbow macaroni, but found the pasta doesn't hold up to reheating or freezing. I now use small red potatoes instead.)
