I hate wasting food, it is one of my pet peeves. I only buy enough for the week but sometimes life has you on a roller coaster and you don't get to eat all those fresh veggies laying around in your fridge so what can you do - make soup of course!

My honey is a chef and he is notorious for buying a ton of fresh veggies so that he has whatever he desires on hand and when I say a ton, I mean a TON. So when I looked in the fridge today I was shocked, so many veggies on their way out! A little brown spot here, mold starting to grow at the stem there, some yellowing kale. When did all these veggies get here and how could I possibly use them all up!

Soup is one of those things that really hit the spot and warm you from the inside out. Its also a great start to a detox or an excellent addition to increase your vegetable consumption especially in the long winter months.

This soup can be adapted to whatever you have on hand but I think there are a few key elements to a great soup. Here are my suggestions;

Always use a wide variety of colors and textures
Saute the veggies first in order to bring out their flavor.
Season those veggies before pouring in your broth.
Don't go light on the seasoning but watch your salt usage.
Don't be afraid to try other things besides vegetable broth - add a little wine, use miso paste, through in a little cider vinegar or splash a bit of soy sauce in there to provide depth.
Simmer longer instead of boiling for a shorter amount of time.
Add any quick cooking items right at the end.

I hope that you enjoy this as much as I am!

A Little Bit of Everything Vegetable Soup

1/2 Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

1 Onion, Sliced

8 Garlic Cloves, chopped

3 Celery Stalks, chopped

3 Turnips, peeled and cubed

1 cup baby carrots, halved

4 Tomatoes, chopped

1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and minced

3 tbs Olive Oil

1 tbs Italian Seasoning

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Parsley

1 tsp Ginger

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Dried Seaweed

1 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

3 tbs Soy Sauce

4 cups Vegetable Broth

4 cups Water

1 cup Spinach

1 cup Kale

Add olive oil to a large stock pot over medium high heat. Chop and dice all vegetables. Add to the pot and saute for 5 minutes until softened. Add the spices and saute another minute until fragrant. Add the soy sauce and the vegetable broth slowly. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce, cover and simmer until vegetables are cooked through about 30 to 40 minutes. Add the spinach and kale. Salt to taste. Enjoy and Healthy Eating!