Oh my…. I’m not sure where to begin all this today. Just when we think our world can’t get any more upside down, the unimaginable happens. These days I’m feeling like I’ve been mentally punched out and am laying in the middle of the boxing ring with coo coo birds flying above my head. How are you holding up? Hang in there if you can. Please ask for help if you need it. And keep your eyes peeled for those close to you who are in trouble. That’s a tall order, and let’s remember to take care of ourselves too. Long walks outside with plenty of fresh air help, and that’s how we start most days. I will admit to a major freak out moment or two in the last week, and that gets me moving to the kitchen for some comfort food, and a hearty vegetable soup seems just right. If I can’t heal the world, I’m surely going to try to do what I can for those I care about. Every little bit helps, right? With that in mind….
Here is one of my all-time favorite winter vegetable soups, and one to picture yourself eating while sitting in front of a roaring fire, while outside, Mother Nature is throwing everything she has at us. It’s chock full of flavor with a big variety of vegetables, a ton of dried herbs for more flavor, and some beans for color, deep flavor, and protein. This guy doesn’t require much tending once all the ingredients are prepped and is happy just to bubble along on its own until ready. Another plus is that you can pretty much make this recipe just the way you want to. This recipe makes a soup that is so thick you can probably stand a fork up in it, because that’s what I like. If you like a more brothy soup, just add more liquid. Would you like some different vegetables? – go for it. If you want to add some additional protein like sausage or whatever, go on ahead. Maybe you want to change up the herbs – also entirely up to you. The goal here is to make vegetable soup this exactly how YOU want it to be. This recipe makes a lot, but never fear – if you don’t eat it all up, it freezes beautifully for the next stormy day.
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