Author: Adam Batson

Soup is the comfort food of choice on cold, rainy or snowy December days. This is a great vegetable soup that is open to endless variation based upon what you receive in your Fair Ridge Farms CSA box. This soup contains tomato juice, which came in the boxes this week, and was pressed during the summer.

Vegetable Soup (makes 4-5 servings)

Ingredients:

6 or so cups of homemade vegetable stock, or chicken broth or stock

1 cup tomato juice

1/2 or 1 whole onion, diced

1-2 celery stalks, diced

2 or so carrots, diced

3 or so garlic cloves, diced

3 or so small potatoes, cut in one inch pieces

a handful of chopped greens, good choices are mustard, kale, or turnip greens

1/2 cup or so chopped red cabbage

olive oil or butter

any other veggies you have on hand. I included green beans that I had frozen over the summer.

optional ingredients: canned diced tomatoes (especially if you don’t have tomato juice), bacon (saute bacon at the beginning stage, then mix in onions, carrots, and celery and go from there), tortellini, beans, etc. There are endless varieties.

To begin, heat heavy-bottomed  pot to medium. Saute onions, celery, carrots in olive oil or another fat for about ten minutes (This combination is known as mirepoix and is the basis for many soups, stews, and sauces). Add garlic, salt, and pepper. Saute for a couple of minutes, then add potatoes, cabbage, and other vegetables you want to include besides greens. Saute for a couple of minutes. Then add broth or stock, tomato juice, herbs if you would like, and simmer for 20 or so minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Then add greens and cook for ten or so minutes. That’s it!

Members, we love recipes! If you would like to share a recipe on the food blog please email it along with a photo to megan@fairridgefarms. com

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