Summer Vegtable Soup

My mother and i belong to a farm and receive a share of vegetables each week that we split. This has not only made me try vegetables that i would not have tried before, but it also forces me to use them or i have a fridge of rotting food. The challenge is that my husband doesn't eat vegetables unless they are disguised in his dish. So i came up with this dish that is a hearty tomato based vegetarian soup that can easily be adapted to add as many or as few vegetables as you want. The eggplant in the soup is want gives it a meaty body with out having any meat in the soup. Sometimes I'll add jalapenos for heat or slice corn off the cob, depending on what i get in my share that week. The combinations are limitless.

Summer Vegetable Soup

This soup is hearty, and easily reheats in the microwave. Its a great day to have the fresh vegetables of the summer in the middle of winter.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion roughly chopped
2-5 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
2 bell peppers seeded and roughly chopped (any color)
1 medium eggplant cut into 1 inch chunks
1 summer squash cut into inch chunks
1 zucchini cut into 1 inch chunks
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 large tomatoes cut into chunks (heirloom work best, but if you grow your own use them)
1 cup white wine semi-dry (but any good quality wine will do)
1 29 oz can of tomato puree
4 cups vegetable stock (can substitute any good stock)
handful of basil thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste


Heat the olive oil a heavy bottomed stock pot. once its simmering, add onions and cook until translucent. Then add carrots and peppers cook for 2-3 minutes, until they slightly soften. Then add eggplant, squash, and zucchini and saute until slightly brown. this can take up to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for one minute. The white wine gets added next to deglaze the pot. As you add the wine stir and get up all the little bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the stock and tomato puree next. when you pour the tomato puree out of the can, you will see a lot of remnants on the side, but that is flavor, so i fill the can with water, stir it around and add to the pot. give everything a good stir and allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add fresh basil and tomatoes and cook for another 15 minutes. If you feel you need more liquid, add either stock or water. remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm and label and store remainder in the freezer for up to 6 months. Remember to leave 3/4 inch space between the lid or else when the soup expands the lid pops off.

To reheat:
Stove top- The night before, move from freezer to the refrigerator to thaw.  When ready to eat put the soup in saucepan with 1/4 cup water or stock and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reheated, approximately 10 minutes.
Microwave-  Time will vary depending on the size of the container from 1-5 minutes. Be careful when removing because the liquid will be very hot.