Vegetarian Vegetable Soup & Mini Grilled Cheese Croutons

With (probably) the last blast of Winter coming through tonight, I’m in a “soup mood.”  While I love hearty winter soups, what I really craved this time, was a good old Vegetarian Vegetable Soup a la Campbell’s from the can. I know – shameful. In my own defense, however, sometimes all you want is a little comfort food! Especially when it’s chilly outside, but you want something fairly light.

A couple of months ago, my friend Elle of Elle’s New England Kitchen posted a recipe for a Campbell’s copycat tomato soup. I wondered if I could take it a step (or five) further, and turn it into my favorite vegetable soup, but without the fillers and excess sodium.  Using Elle’s tomato soup as a base (minus the butter), I decided to give it a try. Because, you know, anything worth doing is worth doing to excess. 😀

Now, tomato soup is much thicker than the vegetable soup, so I had to thin it down a bit with some water (using frozen mixed vegetables helped, too).  You won’t find any salt in this recipe, either, because I find that most vegetable broths already contain plenty.  And I didn’t have any small pasta shapes in the house, so I added a drained can of chickpeas (you can use a can of whatever bean you like or have in the pantry).  And it does cook for about 20 – 30 minutes longer (to get the potatoes cooked-through).  In the end, though, we had a chunky, satisfying vegetable soup that hit all the right notes and was truly “Mmm, mmm, good!”

Vegetarian Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 (26 oz) box of Pomi Strained Tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup raw potatoes (skins on, if you like), diced small (optional)
• 1 14.5 oz can chickpeas (or other bean), drained (optional)
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (you can add another cup, if you want)

Preparation:

In a 4 quart (or larger) saucepan, combine the Pomi strained tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, water, garlic powder, and sugar.  Bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring very well to make sure the tomato paste and sugar are dissolved.

If using the potatoes, add them to the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes.  Add the chickpeas and frozen vegetables, return to a simmer, and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes.  Check the potatoes and vegetables for your desired doneness.  If the soup is too thick for you, add a little more water, stir well, and bring it back up to a simmer to heat through.

Serve with Grilled Cheese Croutons.

Normally, I might have this soup with some saltines or soda crackers on the side.  But these mini-sammies came together in just a few minutes, while the soup was simmering, and satisfied the urge of having a nice grilled cheese with our soup.  And they fit on a spoon! Okay, fine. I admit it. I didn’t have any full-sized bread in the house. Still!

Ingredients:

• 1 small baguette sliced thin
• cheddar cheese slices or shreds
• olive oil (for brushing)

If you have a panini press, heat it to 350°F. If you don’t have one, heat a grill pan, griddle, or frying pan on top of the stove, until a drop of water dropped onto the surface bounces around before evaporating.

Match up your baguette slices for sandwiches and put your cheese (cut to fit the bread) or shredded cheese on one bread slice. Cover with another slice of bread. Brush the outsides of your sandwiches with a bit of the olive oil and place on your preheated grill. If using the panini press, close the top and grill for about 3 minutes, or till toasted. If using your stove, you’ll have to turn your mini-sammies after one side is toasted, and repeat.

Float several mini-sandwiches on top of each bowl of soup.

Fun to eat, great for kids, and husband-approved!

For more hearty and healthy soup options, try:

• Elle’s fast and fabulous Tomato Soup
• Lentil Mushroom Barley Soup
• Butternut Squash Stew