The Unlikely Soup

The last thing I crave in 90° weather is a hearty soup. But, I made it anyway because it seemed like a better idea than turning on the oven.

In my latest box of Boston Organics produce, I got lots of root veggies and fruit. I didn’t have enough room in my fridge to handle it, so, I put aside the celery, carrots, onions, and potatoes to make soup on the stove top.

Hearty Veggie Soup

• 10 stalks of celery
• 4 medium carrots
• 3 small russet potatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup french lentils, cooked
• 3-4 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1/2 tsp dried or fresh thyme
• salt & pepper

Makes 6 servings, freezes and reheats like a champ.

Chop the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion into similar sized pieces. Drop veggies in a pre-heated pot, and drizzle with olive oil. Cook for 8-10 minutes, then add garlic, spices, lentils and water/stock. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes and carrots are cooked but not mushy.

I got the base of the soup idea from this 101 Cookbooks recipe for Chunky Celery Soup. But, I really put in just as much of the other vegetables as I did the celery.

Also, their recipe called for cooked wild rice, but I had french lentils soaking in the fridge. In the end, making soup is really about what you have on hand.

I was surprised how much flavor came from the vegetables, because I didn’t put any stock in. All that gorgeous green color cooked out of the celery, so I guess it really is celery soup.

Check out my Campbell’s soup bowls! I don’t care if they will never match anything else in the cabinet. They have a handle and are perfect for occasions just like this.

I snipped some fresh chives on top of our bowls for a hint of green color because I had it on hand.

Served alongside some marinated chunks of steak. Sounds appetizing, doesn’t it?

Although this soup was a little out of place for dinner in July, I couldn’t let it go unnoticed! Delicious flavors can sometimes be found in the most unlikely places.

Curious about the nutritional information for this recipe? Enter my giveaway to win yourself a copy of the My Calorie Counter book!