Rainy Day Nutrition
As you may have surmised, it has been raining in Memphis for most of the last two months. Now it is cold and rainy. Yesterday was miserable, so I made a hot, hearty soup. I forgot to take a picture of it yesterday, so here it is today.
it even looks delicious cold and half-eaten
This was a very simple soup, but it was scrumptulescent. Because I made it with very little fat, I decided to pair it with a grilled cheese.
Rainy Day Vegetable Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 meduim onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or from garlic press
3 small carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chiffonaded
6 cups chicken stock
1 (12 ounce) bag frozen fordhook lima beans
1 (12 ounce) bag frozen kernel corn
1 (12 ounce) bag frozen green peas
1 (10 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon double concentrated tomato paste
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Warm a heavy bottomed stock pot or large dutch oven over medium heat. When pot is hot, add oil and onion. Cook onion until translucent. Add red pepper flakes, garlic and cook 2 minutes more, stirring often. Stir in celery and carrots, and cook 2 minutes more.
One handful at a time add the kale, give each handful time to wilt and reduce. Salt and pepper generously. After adding all the kale, pour in chicken stock and allow to boil. Add in lima beans and corn, and cook for 5 minutes, or until lima beans are tender. Next add tomatoes, sauce, and paste, and stir until combined with broth.
Cover and simmer for an hour. Add green peas in the last ten minutes of cooking.
Serve hot. Garnish with grilled cheese.