Courier Cookbook: Vegetable Soup

Vegetable soup can take many forms, including vegetarian, chicken based, pasta-filled, creamy or brothy. This week we feature two takes on vegetable soup. Both are perfect for cozy freezing days.

First, an old-school vegetable beef soup recipe by Shirley Fritz, mother of a local resident who said, "My mother obviously lived through the Depression!"

Mom's Beef Vegetable Soup

2 shank bones or bones with meat on them

2 quarts water

2 cups or 1 can tomatoes

1 onion chopped

2 stalks celery with leaves, cut up

2 carrots, cut up

¼ head cabbage, cut up

Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a kettle and simmer for a couple of hours.

Add ¾ cup macaroni and cook until macaroni is tender, about 10 minutes longer

Add salt to taste.

______________________________

Here is a newer take on a low sodium, low calorie (153 per serving) creamy vegetable soup submitted by Deborah Fowler, who says, "This is yummy." This recipe can be found at Eating Well.

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

½ medium red onion, cut into thin wedges

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

3 cups fat-free milk

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a 13x9x2-inch baking pan, combine carrots, sweet potato, parsnip, red onion, and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with half of the thyme and all of the pepper. Toss to coat. Cover with foil.

Roast for 20 minutes. Remove foil and stir vegetables. Roast again uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes more until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, whisk together milk, chicken broth, flour, and the remaining thyme until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add roasted vegetables. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or until heated through.

Enjoy!

Next week we will feature your recipes for macaroni and cheese, another cold weather friend.

Send them to [email protected].