Recipe: Fall Garden Soup

Recipe

Fall Garden Soup

At the end of summer, the garden is rich in ingredients for a full-bodied, one-pot meal, served with lots of crusty bread for dipping. This is a good dish to make with several children, as many hands will speed the preparation of the vegetables and add to the festive mood. Everyone can then sit down together to enjoy the soup they made themselves. Accompany the soup with baguettes or country-style bread.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow or white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Yukon Gold, Red Rose, or other small, waxy boiling
potatoes, cut into l-inch cubes
2 cups trimmed, cut-up green beans
4 cups coarsely chopped spinach leaves
3 zucchini, cut into l/2-inch pieces
8 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
6 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Put the olive oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes, until the color changes. Add the potatoes and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes longer. Continue this process, adding the vegetables one at a time in the order given and then sautéing each one for 2 or 3 minutes before adding the next. Once the tomatoes have been added, pour in the stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for l-l/2 to 2 hours, or until all the vegetables are tender and the flavors have blended. The soup should be quite thick at this point. Add the marjoram and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve piping hot, garnished with grated Parmesan, if desired.

Serves 4 to 6

Recipe from:
The Children's Kitchen Garden
by Georgeanne & Ethel Brennan
$16.95, / paperback
Publication Date: June 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-89815-873-7
Reprinted by permission.