I thought I’d focus on vegetables this week. A nice rich vegetable soup as our featured recipe (below) and some ideas to spice up your vegetable sides.

Up first, Ginger Glazed Carrots (recipe here).  A really nice side to a roast or fish, a little bit of sweet, a little bit of heat.

Next a Vegetable Stir-fry served over rice or in a bread bowl (recipe here)

And a Cheese and Lemon Cauliflower that is a step above a standard cheese covered cauliflower side (recipe here).

And finally, our featured recipe. It’s vegetarian, but if you want to make vegetable beef soup as in JefferyW’s photo above, do what he did, add leftover roast beef, or a package of browned stew beef, with dash of red wine is never a bad idea. And the best thing about a vegetable soup is, you can add just the veggies you like. Skip the turnip, add some peas, maybe some spinach, forget the mushrooms – whatever makes you happy.

Chunky Vegetable Soup

• 6 mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 red potatoes, cubed (peeling opt)
• 8 oz baby carrots
• 1 turnip, peeled and cubed
• 15 oz can white beans
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp basil, crushed
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ½ to 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp marjoram
• 32 oz chicken broth (vegetable broth if you prefer vegetarian)
• 4 cups water
• 6 oz Ruote (wheel shaped pasta)
• 4 oz shredded mozzarella

slow-cooker, skillet

If you have time, sauté mushrooms and onions in 1 tbsp of butter before adding to the slow-cooker. Otherwise, add all ingredients, except pasta and cheese, to the slow-cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours (following manufacturer’s directions as slow-cookers can vary). Add pasta 20 minutes before serving, turning the slow-cooker up to high and bringing soup to a low boil. Once pasta is tender, serve with shredded cheese.