SPRING VEGETABLE SOUP

This soup is made with a lot of ingredients. However, a bundle of vitamins and minerals that are part of this soup will help you to remain healthy. If you do not like some of the vegetables from the recipe or just not have some of them in your fridge right now, you can skip one or two of them. Let say, you can skip the asparagus, or use bell pepper instead of a carrot, or use green beans instead of green peas, or more onion instead of fennel. You are out of basil or do not like basil or oregano, then use parsley, cilantro or dill. If you do not want to use olive oil, then do not use it: just add a couple spoons of water to your pot instead of oil. 

 Ingredients: 

1 fennel
3 stalks celery
4 cloves of garlic
1 carrot or bell pepper
6 pieces of asparagus
1 cup of fresh or frozen green peas
2 small zucchini
3 large tomatoes or 7 medium tomatoes (or 14-ounce of canned and crashed tomatoes and 1 tomato chopped)
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 cups boiled water
Basil and oregano 
Salt and ground black pepper
 

Blanch tomatoes:
First, gently cut an “X” at the base of the tomatoes. Put the scored pieces in a deep pot then carefully pour boiling hot water over top, enough to cover it. Let them sit for 40 seconds in a hot water. Tomato skin should peel off easily now. If you use crushed canned tomatoes, than skip this step.

Cut onion, fennel, celery, carrot and zucchini into small cubes. Cut asparagus into 1/4 inch pieces and mince the garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add onion, fennel, celery and carrot, garlic and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add blended tomatoes, bring them to a boil and cook for another 5 minutes. Add zucchini, asparagus, peas, oregano and boiled water and cook for 10-12 minutes. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with basil, parmesan cheese and serve. This soup will be even better the next day .


Sincerely  yours,
                Nellie