Spiral pasta & veggie soup
Many years ago, while living overseas, I was having lunch in the Old City with a friend. As we were waiting for our lunch, she nonchalantly told me that she, “doesn’t understand soup.” I was so puzzled, because, I LOVE soup and if food can make sense, soup certainly does! I could eat it during every season of the year. Of course, we remained friends after that day at lunch together, but it was the one thing that we never agreed on.
There is something about starting with an empty pot and slowly layering in ingredients until you have something perfectly warm and wonderful.
Perhaps it is the process that draws me in. The crushing and chopping of garlic and the dicing of a perfectly sized small purple onion. Choosing a few more vegetables (and for this soup, even a fruit) from the fridge and setting to work. The sizzling of the first ingredients to the simmering of the last.
The process that inevitably has my favorite people walking through the door exclaiming, “something smells SO good!”
Some days in our home start out rougher than others when little people are involved. I woke up happy to start the day, but one of my littles was soon frustrated and in tears.
Today was “one of those days” that just seemed to cry out for the warmth and coziness of a good soup. A made-from-scratch-because-I-love-you kind of soup day.
I realize that some people are very averse to having food as comfort, but in reality…sometimes it just is. Preparing food is grounding and helps bring the focus back. Preparing food for a troubled little one can speak to them on a different level - everything is going to be okay.
Enjoy something warm and cozy to settle your soul a bit.
Nourishing food can be so good, in so many ways.
And today…it worked.
As it usually does.
Enjoy
P.S. We love a good farmer’s market, so when we can grab our produce from a trip to an outdoor market, the results are extra good! If you have the opportunity to source locally-grown produce, it’s a win for everyone.
Fall Veggie & Spiral Pasta Soup
1 small purple onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
3 stalks of celery
3 carrots, sliced
2 zucchini, cut in half and then in slices
1 small apple, diced
3 bouillon cubes
3 cups of cooked pasta
Cream (optional)
Dried Sage
Olive Oil
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add in onion and garlic and sauté. Add celery to garlic and onions and sauté lightly while prepping bouillon. Dissolve bouillon cubes in a mug with boiling water (this helps to make sure they are fully dissolved with no lumps before adding to the pot). Pour bouillon into pot and add additional water according to bouillon directions. Add in carrots and apple and bring to simmer. Next, add a sprinkle of sage (rub lightly in your hand before adding), and if desired, about a 1/4 cup of cream to round out the flavor (to keep completely plant-based, it is okay to leave this out or to sub a plant-based milk of your choice). Add cooked pasta and zucchini 5 minutes before you are ready to serve, so that the zucchini stays slightly firm and beautifully green.. Serve with a warm, crusty baguette. Enjoy!
