A veggie-packed soup for those particularly cold and gloomy days.
It doesn't feel like September. Usually you'd think of falling autumn leaves, cold days, and changing weather in the fall month. But where I live, "September" usually means cool mornings, breezy, sunny afternoons, and chilly evenings. Still a bit of a stretch, but the weather has definitely changed, even if not by much.
For lunch these days we usually eat normal food, but in the evenings and cold nights we like to eat a more seasonal, warming meal. Which is where this soup comes in. It's basically a bunch of cooked vegetables in some broth. Which, when I say it like that, kinda makes the soup sound average, when it is really anything but.
In this one I used mushrooms, olives, carrots, corn, and beans, but as always with soups, it will work just fine with whatever you have on hand. I suspect it'd taste pretty good with some spring onions, potato, or cauliflower!
It's one of those warming recipes that's perfect for the I'm-hungry-but-it's-super-cold days. And with the cold, as we all know, usually comes with more tiredness, fatigue, and sluggishness. So to make it even easier, it only requires one pot! And a small bowl and cutting board, but whatever. My mother gets so annoyed with me sometimes because it can get messy in the kitchen. Since then, I've been striving to give you guys recipes that require minimal mom-maintenance. Yes, even if you're an adult.
Clear Vegetable Soup
Course: Main Meal
Author: Prachi Marfatia
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Veggies: 2 cups total, I used:
5-7 crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
5 cloves garlic
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp paprika/chili powder
1/2 tsp soy sauce(optional)
Broth:
3 cups + 2 tbsp water
2 tbsp cornstarch, potato starch, or rice flour
NOTE: This soup is pretty bland when cooked, so I would encourage you to season it with garlic powder, cumin, salt and such before eating it.
Directions:
Heat a large pot on medium heat and add 2 tsp of oil, I used olive. Add the garlic and spices, stirring for 2 minutes until the garlic is nicely browned and fragrant. Add the mushrooms, broccoli, and carrot(or insert veggies of choice here), cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add 3 cups of the water and remove the lid. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Meanwhile, mix the rice flour/cornstarch with the remaining 2 tbsp water into a milky white liquid, which should take 10-20 seconds. Stir this into the pot and leave it for 5-10 more minutes, then take off the heat. By this time the veggies should be soft and tender; if they are not, turn on the heat again until they are. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Add salt to taste, other seasonings, and enjoy!
