Farmer's Market Soup

FARMER'S MARKET SOUP

Summer is slipping through our fingers, but most farmer's markets are still in full swing. There are different fruits and vegetables than were available at the beginning of the summer. Lots of delicious squashes are available- and how tasty they are in soup!

This soup has no rhyme or reason to it. It is all about what is available to you at each individual booth. Go talk with the farmers. Ask what vegetables will be good in a soup. They all have such fun stories to tell and you will learn about where your food came from. 

I made the base of this soup to be a tomato base and then tossed a whole medley of veggies. Be creative- try something you may not normally buy. This recipe is not specific as others of mine are because it is all about creating a soup from what is available to you. 

This is a delicious and healthy soup to start out the season of Fall. 

Give this a try before the snow falls. Let me know how it goes!



INGREDIENTS:
Tomatoes (I used about 6 large)
Squash (Try a variety you have available to you)
Zucchini
Onion (I used 2)
Green Beans
Corn cut of the cob (I used 4 cobs)
Garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
32 oz Chicken Broth
2 Cups Water
Salt/Pepper to taste

STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350. Quarter the tomatoes and onions. Place them on a baking sheet. Put the peeled garlic cloves on the baking sheet. Roast all for 30 minutes. 

STEP TWO: Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Sauté any squash, zucchini and green beans. Saute for roughly 10-15 minutes until they are softened. 

Funky new kinds of squash and a large zucchini!

STEP THREE: When the vegetables in the oven are finished roasting, put them in a large pot. Add in the chicken broth and water. Using an immersion blender or normal blender, puree the tomatoes, onions and garlic. This will be the base of your soup. 

STEP FOUR: Add in the zucchini/squash/green beans etc. Add in the corn. Add in Salt/Pepper. Test out any other spices (try Thyme, Garlic Powder- be creative!) Simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the corn to cook. 

Look how delicious that looks!

Tomato Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Kale

Tomato Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Kale

Where did summertime go? Summer 2015 was a whirlwind of fun and activities! With all that fun there was little time that I spent cooking. 

Now that Fall has started settling in to the cooler air and the yellow trees, it is inspiring me to go back into the kitchen. I love making a big batch of soup on Sundays and then munching on it for dinner for the next couple of nights. This soup in particular is easy to hide lots of vegetables into for picky eaters. 

This recipe also uses a blender/immersion blender. If you know me, you know my immersion blender is probably my favorite kitchen tool (ok, maybe besides for my ice cream maker- is there really a competition??) They are inexpensive and so handy to make soups all year round. 

Ingredients:

5 Large Tomatoes

1 Package of Tortellini (I used dried tortellini, but refrigerated or frozen would work great as well)

1 lb Italian Sausage (I recommend HOT)

1 Onion- Diced

5 Cloves Garlic- Diced

2 Stalks of Celery-Sliced

Olive Oil

32 oz Chicken or Vegetable Broth

2 Cups Water

1 teaspoon Basil

2 Cups Kale- torn into bite sized pieces

Salt and Pepper to taste

STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Quarter/cut up the tomatoes and place skin side down on a cooking sheet. Coat lightly with olive oil and sprinkle pepper on the tomatoes. Roast for 30 minutes. 

STEP TWO: While the tomatoes are roasting, brown the Italian sausage. Set aside. Best of luck keeping lurking hands from munching on pieces of the cooked sausage while it sits (cough cough, I would never do such a thing....) 

STEP THREE: Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Set aside. 

STEP FOUR: Heat a pot over medium-high heat. Pour about 1 teaspoon of olive oil into the pot. Sauté the garlic, onion and celery for about 5 minutes. 

STEP FIVE: When the tomatoes are done roasting, put them into the pot. Add in the water and chicken/vegetable broth. 

STEP SIX: Using a blender or immersion blender, puree the ingredients currently in the pot. 

STEP SEVEN: Add in the basil and salt/pepper. Add the cooked Italian sausage and kale to the pot. Simmer for about 20 minutes to allow the kale to cook. 

STEP EIGHT: Add the cooked tortellini to the soup. 

Enjoy! 

COPY/PASTE RECIPE

Ingredients:
5 Large Tomatoes
1 Package of Tortellini (I used dried tortellini, but refrigerated or frozen would work great as well)
1 lb Italian Sausage (I recommend HOT)
1 Onion- Diced
5 Cloves Garlic- Diced
2 Stalks of Celery-Sliced
Olive Oil
32 oz Chicken or Vegetable Broth
2 Cups Water
1 teaspoon Basil
2 Cups Kale- torn into bite sized pieces
Salt and Pepper to taste

STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Quarter/cut up the tomatoes and place skin side down on a cooking sheet. Coat lightly with olive oil and sprinkle pepper on the tomatoes. Roast for 30 minutes. 

STEP TWO: While the tomatoes are roasting, brown the Italian sausage. Set aside. 

STEP THREE: Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Set aside. 

STEP FOUR: Heat a pot over medium-high heat. Pour about 1 teaspoon of olive oil into the pot. Sauté the garlic, onion and celery for about 5 minutes. 

STEP FIVE: When the tomatoes are done roasting, put them into the pot. Add in the water and chicken/vegetable broth. 

STEP SIX: Using a blender or immersion blender, puree the ingredients currently in the pot. 

STEP SEVEN: Add in the basil and salt/pepper. Add the cooked Italian sausage and kale to the pot. Simmer for about 20 minutes to allow the kale to cook. 

STEP EIGHT: Add the cooked tortellini. 

Enjoy!