Carolyn

This week has had and will continue to have its challenges - my MIL had foot surgery Thursday morning, and it has been a difficult road since then to try to make progress in healing.  We've ended up back at the doctor's and though he hasn't been overly concerned about the bleeding at the incision site, I sure am!  It has been a real concern.  And the pain, and the massive cramps (we finally got her meds for that). The last two days and today have been mentally exhausting, plus, my MIL LOVES TO TALK OH MY STARS.  Nonstop.  About everything under the sun from Religion (my least favorite subject, pretty sure she'd flip if she knew my true thoughts on the subject)) to politices (another least favorite subject when she is the other person) to who did what when where she lives.   She loves it there, and I am glad, but it is maddening how everyone is into everyone else's business.   This will continue for the next two months, as I will ahve to go see her daily, to walk her dog and check on her.  I AM going back to work on Monday though.

Anyway, it has been a few rough days for us all, and time spent cooking is not what I want to be doing, so I decided what we all needed was a huge pot - or two - of minestrone soup (although Tiff didn't want the red beans, so I left those out).

Here is a cuppa:

One of my daughter's best friends who I also adore because he is awesome loves my soup so of course I had to make twice as much as necessary so he could have some. (Okay the truth is, I ALWAYS make too much of this soup.  Without fail.) venivincere asked for the recipe, and of course there isn't one.  I have never had a recipe for this because my mom taught me to make it, and she never had a recipe for it either.

But, here you go - what I did tonight.  Everything canned or boxed (broth) was low or no salt.

We're mostly eating vegetarian at home these days so there isn't meat in this, but it is easy to add of course.

2 boxes of vegetable broth (my favorite is Kitchen Basics unsalted - it is a dark broth which is fine for this)
2 cans of whole tomatoes - big cans that is.  Do not cut your finger like I did, okay?  I need a new can opener
1 can crushed tomatoes (big can again)
1/2 box of tomato sauce (or a couple cans if you have that, about 16 oz. total)

I have my toe in a CSA thing and had a bunch of pretty tomatoes so I cut them up and put them in too.

I used a LOT of tomatoes.

One whole bunch of celery cut in little pieces
A bunch of carrots, also from the CSA thing.  Cut up nicely.
2 big yellow onions
1 bag of frozen pearl onions, because my daughter loves them
1 bag of frozen corn, because I had some
And really any other vegetables you want to throw in.  Rutabaga, bok choy, cabbage, whatever. Stretch your imagination!!  I bought a napa cabbage and totally forgot to add it, btw.  Now what to do with it I am not sure.

ANYWAY - chopping veggies is very therapeutic. Needed that today.  Peaceful veggie chopping, IN MY OWN HOME, dogs at my feet, documentary on the Roku - I highly recommend watching this documentary while chopping your vegetables, though it made the process of chopping said vegetables last the entire link, because the documentary was so amazing. Now I want to hike the John Muir Trail.  Sigh. Awesome Hiking Video for Chopping Up Veggies.

Other ingredients:

Pasta, because the daughter wanted it, and pretty yellow taters, again cuz she wanted them. This soup was really for her, see.

More tomato sauce to taste.  I just add however much looks good and some water to where it looks good and tastes tgod and is good. LOL.

So, I throw all this stuff but the pasta and potatoes (last 30 minutes so they don't get mush, if you use beans, same thing, wait last 30) in those big pots on my stove - 2 pots because I had a LOT of each. A LOT.   Then, I throw in a package of my mom's secret ingredient - Knorr Swiss Leek Soup.  LOL yes that. AND a package of Knorr Swiss's vegetable soup.  Instant perfect seasonings!   I do not add salt as there is plenty in those.  Pepper to taste, we like red pepper in ours but if you don't, don't use it.

I think the basic part is the most important, the broth - the 2 cartons, the half a carton of tomato sauce, the whole and crushed and fresh cut up tomatoes, and the Knorr stuff.  Oh and fresh oregano and parsley which I also had.  :)   Get the basic part right and the veggies slide right into the awesome.  :)

Damn I love this soup!  Serve with corn bread if so inclined.   It would be far better if it was cold outside, but sometimes, you just gotta have soup.

And now back to my MIL's to walk the dog and change her bandages.  And try to get home before my ears hurt. LOL.