THE BEST SUMMER VEGETABLE SOUP... EVER.

So last summer, I thought I made the best summer vegetable soup I'd ever had. This soup to be exact. I thought it was the best - and it does taste really good. BUT it turns out that I thought wrong. Really wrong. It's not the best vegetable soup I've ever had. That one you see in the photo there is though! THE BEST!! I love my vegetables, so I get particularly excited when summer introduces the freshest of my favorite vegetables. I eat them all kinds of ways, but one of my favorite ways to eat summer veggies is in a soup. Soups are easy to make, quick-cooking, make great leftovers, and freeze well. I recently ran across this recipe and I immediately knew I had to make it...

I've had lots of different vegetable soups, but this one is different... Why? I have a few guesses... Everything in this soup with the exception of the peas (they were frozen) and tomatoes (canned) was super fresh, in season, and organic. I literally picked everything up from the grocery store in the morning and made the soup that afternoon. The carrot tops were still attached to the carrots when I bought them. I swear they tasted fresher and sweeter. I cut the Non-GMO organic corn off the cob right before I added it to the soup. I used buttery Yukon Gold potatoes - the best. The soup cooks in 25 minutes, so while everything is cooked, the ingredients don't get soggy and over-cooked. It doesn't have a ton of seasonings (nor does it need it), so the fresh flavor of the vegetables really comes through. I've eaten this soup three times this week already people... It's definitely an all-time favorite!! 

Here is what you need an what to do (makes 7 servings):
Recipe via Cooking Classy

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 stalks celery, chopped
4-5 carrots, peeled & chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2in pieces
1 28oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
6-8 cups vegetable stock (preferably organic & low sodium. I use this brand)
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed & cut into 1in pieces
2 cups corn (fresh is best, but frozen works, too)
1 1/2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

COOKING TIP: Use "Mise en Place" when preparing this soup! That means to prepare all of the ingredients before you even turn the stove on! It makes the actual cooking process so much easier and faster. It takes 15-20 minutes to chop, peel, and measure everything for this soup, so turn some music on in the kitchen and make it fun!

1. Once your vegetables are prepared, place a large Dutch oven (I used a 7 1/4 qt Le Creuset Dutch oven and it was almost full) over medium heat. Once the olive oil is hot, add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pot. You want to hear that sizzle when you add them to the pot! Season the vegetables with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.

2. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, red pepper flakes, and vegetable stock to the pot. Stir and bring the soup up to a boil. Season again with a little salt and pepper.

3. Once it starts boiling, add the green beans. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

4. Once the potatoes are done, add the peas and the corn. Cook for another five minutes or so and then it's done! Taste it one last time and add more salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

Serve with crackers or some good crusty bread. Enjoy!

Images by me