What's For Dinner? Part 4.

Soup.  Take 2!

I probably should have made this recipe on Friday when I can't meat, but I was craving some soup today after the little chill we've been feeling here in LA.  I had a bunch of vegetables so I decided to make a Veggie Soup!  I did not go off any other recipe for this, and completely experimented!

Here are the Ingredients we need for tonight's 'What's For Dinner?'

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

3/4 Pound of Carrots (Peeled and Chopped)

1/2 Cup Onion (Chopped)

1/2 Cup Yellow & Orange Peppers

10 Asparagus Spears

2 Cups Chicken Stock

1 Cup Water

1 Clove Garlic (Chopped)

1/2 Tsp Bay Leaves

1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar

1/4 Cup Carrot Juice (I used Bolthouse Farms)

Salt & Pepper

3 Slices Ginger (Chopped) 

Like my original soup I made, I heated the olive oil in my pot and then added in the carrots and onions to sweat and start the softening process, which was about 5 minutes.  I cut the carrots into smaller pieces as I originally thought I was pureeing my soup again, and it's easier when the pieces are smaller.  Then I added in my chopped peppers and asparagus, all my wet ingredients, the minced garlic, bay leaves, and ginger.  The carrot juice and rice wine are optional items, I just wanted to add a little extra flavor to the soup.  I'm pretty sure adding Chicken stock no longer makes my soup vegetarian, but I'm not eating actual meat, so until my Mom says so, I could eat this on Friday :)  I brought the soup to a boil and then simmered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  As I started the simmering process, I realized how beautiful the colors looked in the pot and decided against pureeing the soup, and keeping it as a nice hearty vegetable soup.  

Mmmmm...Soup!

After 20 minutes my soup was done, was amazingly fragrant, slightly sweet, and had tons of vegetables and flavor!  There wasn't a whole lot of broth, so I could see adding another cup or Chicken Stock or water, but I liked having tons of vegetables in every bite!  A great new experiment that was super yummy and healthy :)

PS.  Mom said so...can't eat it on Friday even though there is no meat in it, it's made from chicken, and therefore counts as meat.  I don't know how people are vegetarian or vegan...there's way too much to think about, and I think I'd be eating something wrong for practically every meal.  Props to my non-meat eating friends, you work hard at that, and I certainly could not do it all the time!