Basque Soup- Vegetarian

Basque Soup

I taught a couple of classes earlier this week on vegetarian soups. This one was one of the favorites we had. It is  a favorite of mine, too. The soup is hearty and rich flavored. I used oil and almond milk, so the soup was vegan. You could use milk and butter, if you prefer.  It tastes great, either way. It also comes together quickly, with ingredients you can keep on hand, so it is a great homemade soup when you don’t have a lot of time. The combination of milk, tomatoes and corn also makes it a pretty dish to serve.

Basque Soup

1 c. chopped onions

1 1/2 c. chopped celery

1/4 c. oil or butter

1/4 c. flour

3 c. milk*

1 (16 oz.) jar stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 can whole kernel corn, undrained

3-4 cans butter beans, drained and rinsed

3-4 cups water and 1T. paste-type vegetable soup base

or 3-4 cups vegetable broth

pepper to taste

hot pepper sauce to taste

shredded mild cheese, optional

Sauté onions and celery in oil until tender. Stir in flour until smooth and add milk, stirring to keep lumps from forming. Stir over medium heat until milk has thickened and begins to boil. Stir constantly as mixture simmers for an additional minute or two. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese and bring up to a simmer. Adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, if desired. Serves 8-10.

Note: You can use almond, rice or soy milk in place of the dairy milk, if you like.