OLD-FASHIONED VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium-size carrots, chopped
1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 small red potatoes, left unpeeled and diced
1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 ounces green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large garlic clove, minced
6 cups vegetable stock
15.5 oz can navy or other small white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preparation:

1. Place the oil, carrots, onion, and celery in a 6-quart slow cooker, cover, and cook on High to soften slightly while you assemble the remaining ingredients.

2. Once prepped, add the potatoes, bell pepper, green beans, garlic, and stock to the cooker; cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours.

3. About 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve, add the beans and peas and season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir in the parsley and taste to adjust the seasonings. Serve hot.

JerseyNE’s TIP:
To make the soup more hearty and a meal on its own, I added ditalini pasta (cooked separately) to the soup when serving it. It makes for a great cold-weather dinner, and a great comfort meal.

SERVES 4 to 6

TAKEN FROM:

“Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker” by Robin Robertson