Steadfast Winter Soup

Based on a book I read a while ago, I've tried to make bigger lunches and smaller dinners. Especially during the winter, soup with a little bit of bread or fruit on the side is our favorite thing, and I've been trying to make a DIFFERENT soup EVERY night (or close to it) so now I'm posting what has been a clear favorite thus far. It is chock full of veggies (it's vegan) so it takes some chopping time! But it's SO worth it, and super healthy. :) This soup is SO flavorful, and every time we've made it I've felt compelled to quote Kung Fu Panda: "I wish my mouth was bigger!" It's not very colorful, but once you get past that, even my toddlers gobble this soup!

Oh, it came out of the book "Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for ALL seasons" by Nava Atlas. I've been SUPER impressed with almost all the soups we've tried out of this book so far. Vegan or not, this book would totally be worth your money if you're into (healthy) soup.

'Steadfast Winter Soup'

chop time: 25 minutes

cook time: 40 minutes (For me, the whole thing takes a little longer than an hour, because I'm slow)

makes 4 servings (it easily feeds our family of 4 twice, but then we do have toddlers)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

1/4 small cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

2 Medium carrots, thinly sliced

2 medium parsnips, thinly sliced (these look like white carrots...I had to ask for help to find them. In my grocery store, they come in bags of 4, so I double the recipe which also helps use up the cabbage)

One 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

One 14.5-oz. can WHOLE tomatoes with liquid, chopped (chop them IN the can to avoid mess)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small potato, such as Yukon Gold or Red, diced

2 C. Water

1 tsp dried Thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

pinch of sugar or natural sweetener

ground black pepper

chopped fresh parsley (I use dried)

Saute the onion in the oil (in your soup pot) for 3-5 minutes, or until softened. Add cabbage, carrots, and parsnips. Cover and continue cooking until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. (make sure to smell it as you stir...it's a heavenly peek into what you'll be tasting later)

Stir in the beans, garlic, potato, tomatoes, water, thyme, and salt. Bring pot to boil. Cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

(Tonight, we served it with Garlic bread and oranges...yummy!)