The Soup that I Grew...

There is, I believe, nothing more satisfying than a good bowl of soup and homemade bread. Okay...so maybe there is, but you've got to admit the combination is really good. Anyhow, believe-it-or-not, I am still harvesting vegetables from the garden in the rear of my house (yes, in October and in Western NY). I made this yesterday and ate it with a few slices of whole wheat bread (click here for multiple recipes and pics on how to make whole wheat bread). The unseasonably warm temperatures yesterday plummeted by about 30 degrees in 2 hours, and the house sure felt--and smelled--cozy with a pot of curried vegetable soup on the stove. There's a really basic recipe below; use it more as a guide...add or subtract whatever vegetables and spices you like (or add meat as well). Some of the vegetables that I harvested and used in this recipe are pictured below as well.

Curried Vegetable Soup

Makes about 12 cups

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 small onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 parsnip, diced

1 turnip, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin seed

2 teaspoons crushed hot pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup diced cabbage

1 cup chopped cauliflower

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup chopped kale

8 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup lemon juice

Heat the oil in a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, parsnip, and turnip. Cook the vegetables in the oil for about five minutes, allowing them to release their flavor but not brown. Add the garlic, curry, turmeric, cumin, hot pepper, and salt; saute for another couple minutes. Stir in the cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes and kale; stir to coat the vegetables with oil and spices. Stir in the broth. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the soup for 30-60 minutes, skimming as necessary; if it becomes to thick add more broth. Taste it for seasoning, and add the lemon juice just before serving.

Urban Simplicity.