On my last trip to the market before the Snowpocalypse hit Atlanta, I had grabbed a butternut squash and some sweet potatoes (which I currently have an obsession with) with the thought that I would cube them and roast them together as a side dish. As the sky got cloudier and the temperatures got colder, my lovely side dish fell to the wayside and I knew I’d be feeling the need to make soup. Something I could throw on the stove and forget about – my eyes were glued to the windows and the weather forecast. On our first full night of being snowed in – you know…that first one when it’s still novel and fun – I threw them in a pot with the other veg I had in the house. Add some canned tomatoes and tiny pastas and we had our first of many chunky soup meals. Yes – this recipe does reheat very well!
This soup is super flavorful and hearty because of the cubed cuts on the vegetables. Since we were hunkering down for a long winter’s stay here at the loft, I added some small pasta shapes to the recipe to make it more of a filling meal – this is completely optional and it’s just as good without them. A little shaving of fresh Parmesan on the hot soup & you’ll be totally wowed by this recipe. Admittedly, I was sick at home for the few days before the snow hit and I think this recipe was inspired by something I saw during my many hours of watching food television on the sofa…but I can’t for the life of me remember what I watched to properly credit it! If you know what it is, let me know and I’ll happily add a note about it.
Chunky Winter Vegetable Soup – serves 4 to 6
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 medium red onion, finely diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 large zucchini, cubed
- 1 small butternut squash – peeled, deseeded and cut into small cubes
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 6 cups vegetable stock (you can cut this with some water if you’d like)
- 28 ounces good quality chopped tomatoes – I used Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes in this & it added a nice touch
- 1 cup fresh frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup small dried pasta shapes – stars/orzo/ditalini (optional)
- salt & pepper to taste
– In a large stock pot, heat up olive oil over medium heat until faintly shimmering. Add in the red onion and red bell peppers. Saute for 5-6 minutes until soft & the onions are translucent but not brown. Add in garlic and cook for an addition 2 minutes. Add in cubed sweet potato and butternut squash, stir in with the sauteed onion/garlic/red pepper and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Add in the cubed zucchini and cook for another 10 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock, chopped tomatoes, oregano, peas and small pastas if using. Stir it all together, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook together for 15 minutes – check that your pastas are cooked through. Salt & pepper to taste and serve immediately. If you store this soup in the fridge, be prepared to thin it out with some water or stock when you reheat it.
