Plentiful Zucchini Recipes
Creamy Zucchini Soup
I read once, that in August, there are more zucchini than people in America. Seems easy to believe.
If you grow zucchini, or know someone who does, you are probably enjoying a lot of zucchini right now. You might even feel a little overwhelmed. I decided to share a whole bunch of my favorite zucchini recipes.
There are savory and sweet recipes, and a few that are gluten-free. Remember, you can also shred and freeze your extra summer squash or dehydrate them to use later. Hope this helps.
Creamy Zucchini Soup
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T. butter
4-6 medium zucchini, sliced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 T. chopped parsley
½ t. each basil, marjoram and thyme
1 t. hot sauce, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
6 c. chicken or veggie broth
1 c. milk or half and half- I prefer the half and half
In Dutch oven cook onions in butter until tender. Add vegetables and seasonings and cook until hot. Add broth, heat to a simmer and cook 15 minutes. Puree mixture in blender in batches and return to pot. Add milk and heat through. Adjust seasonings. Serve hot or cold. I top with some fresh chopped parsley and a little hot sauce. Serves 6-8.
Zucchini Pancakes
2 c. shredded zucchini
1 medium onion, diced
2 eggs
1/2 c. flour- you made need a little more or less depending on how moist your zucchini is
2 t. hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1 t. baking soda
salt to taste
oil for cooking
Combine all ingredients, except the oil, in a medium bowl. Heat oil in skillet and spoon batter in. I used a little over 1/4 cup for each. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned around the edges. Flip and cook until golden on both sides and pancake springs back when touched lightly. Remove to platter and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with salsa or sour cream. Makes 8.
Zucchini and Cheese Tartlets
Since zucchini are so prolific there never seem to be enough recipes for them. I like this one as an appetizer. You can bake up a big batch, bake and then freeze some for whenever you need them.
1 recipe of pie crust dough, enough for 2 pies, home made or store bought
1 medium zucchini shredded, about 1 1/2 cups
1 T. flour
1 c. shredded cheese- any kind you like. I like cheddar.
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. minced onion
1 t. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
hot pepper sauce to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick. Use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out circles of dough. Place dough circles in mini muffin pans. Press them in gently being careful not to tear them. Repeat with remaining dough and re-roll scraps. You’ll end up with about 3 dozen in all. If you don’t have enough pans, keep the extra dough circles under a towel or plastic wrap so they don’t dry out until you are ready to use them. In mixing bowl combine zucchini and toss in the flour. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Place a rounded teaspoonful of zucchini mixture into each of the tartlet shells in the prepared pans. Don’t over fill. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on top. They will puff up while baking but flatten when cooling. Can be served hot, warm or at room temperature. Makes about 3 dozen.
Can be frozen. To reheat take straight from the freezer and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven and bake for about 20 minutes, but check after 15 minutes.
Baked Zucchini with Mushrooms
2 T. butter
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
½ t. salt
1 clove minced garlic
Pepper to taste
½ t. Italian seasoning
4 medium zucchini, about a pound, shredded
¼ c. bread crumbs
4 T. fresh grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
4 eggs, slightly beaten
In a skillet heat butter and sauté mushrooms until tender and liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Place mushroom mixture in mixing bowl and add the zucchini, seasonings, bread crumbs and half of the cheese. Combine ingredients and spoon them into a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Pour over the eggs and bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes or until custard is set. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven for 5 minutes. Serves 4-6.
Zucchini Carrot Cake
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. oil
1¼ c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. salt
1 c, grated carrot
1 c. grated zucchini, squeezed dry and packed tightly
½ c. chopped nuts
Beat eggs with sugar until frothy. Beat in oil then add dry ingredients. Beat on high for 4 minutes. Stir in veggies and nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 35 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool and frost
Frosting
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 T. butter, softened
1 t. vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar
Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla and sugar. Spread over cooled cake.
Zucchini Bread
3 c. flour
3 eggs
2 c. sugar, I use less
2 c. shredded zucchini
1 c. oil
1 c. chopped nuts or raisins, optional
½ c. sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 t. each vanilla, cinnamon, salt and baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 (9×5 inch) loaf pans. Set aside. Place flour in large bowl. Beat eggs and add with remaining ingredients to flour, mixing well and scraping bowl. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake 1 hour , or until browned and toothpick in center emerges clean. Cool in pans on wire rack. Freezes well. Makes 2 .
Summer Squash Strata
2 medium yellow summer squash, sliced thin
2 medium zucchini, sliced thin
3 large tomatoes, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced thin
Salt and pepper
4 T. olive oil
½ c. shredded cheese
½ c. bread crumbs
In a greased 13×9 inch baking dish layer slices of the vegetables adding salt and pepper to taste. Use up all the veggies. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle the cheese and bread crumbs over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until vegetable are tender. Serves 6.
Spicy Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
These are wonderfully spicy, moist cupcakes. Instead of frosting them, I decided to top them with melted butter and cinnamon sugar. It’s something I’ve done with muffins, in the past. I just never thought of topping cupcakes that way before. It was a really good idea. The cupcakes were baked for a picnic, and in the heat, frosting would have melted. Besides, not everyone likes frosting. As an added bonus- it is a another recipe using zucchini, and that is never a bad thing.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
¼ c. unsweetened cocoa
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup olive oil
1½ c. sugar
2 eggs
½ c. buttermilk
1½ t. vanilla
2½ c. grated zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips
Topping:
½ c. butter, melted
½ c. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 24 muffin cups or use paper liners. Mix together the dry ingredients. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, olive oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the buttermilk and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture, just until incorporated. Stir in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top of the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in pans over a wire rack for at least 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Dip top of cupcakes in melted butter, then dip in the cinnamon sugar. Place on rack to finish cooling off. Makes 24.
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
½ c. butter
½ c. oil
1 ¼ c. sugar
2 eggs
½ c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
2 ½ c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
2 c. shredded zucchini
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 30 muffin pans with paper liners and set aside. In mixing bowl combine butter, oil, sugar and eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to egg mixture- beating until smooth. Stir in zucchini. Scoop batter into cupcake paper lined pans, filling about 2/3 full. You will get about 30, I sometimes get more. Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool and frost. Makes 30-36.
I used the Classic Vanilla Frosting recipe below, but doubled the recipe.
Zucchini Carrot Cupcakes
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. oil
1¼ c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon- I think I would use a little more next time
½ t. salt
1 c. grated carrot
1 c. grated zucchini, squeezed dry and packed tightly
½ c. chopped nuts, optional
Beat eggs with sugar until frothy. Beat in oil then add dry ingredients. Beat on high for 4 minutes. Stir in veggies and nuts. Pour batter into 18- 24 paper lined muffin tins, filling them 2/3 full. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool and frost. Makes 24.
Note: These cupcakes deflate a little while cooling.
Classic Vanilla Frosting
3/4 cup butter
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
Beat butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 3 cups of the sifted confectioners’ sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the vanilla, salt, and 1/3 cup of the milk. Gradually beat in the 3 remaining cups of confectioner’s sugar. Beat in additional milk (1 to 2 tablespoons) if needed, to make frosting of spreading consistency. If desired tint the frosting with 6 to 8 drops of food coloring.
Gluten-Free Zucchini Brownies
1½ c. shredded zucchini
1 c. almond butter- but you could use peanut butter instead
1 c. chocolate chips
1/3 c. honey – but you can use 1/2 cup if you want a sweeter brownie
¼ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. allspice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9 inch pan, set aside. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until well blended. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool before cutting. Makes 16.
Bacon Tomato Mini Quiches with Zucchini Crust
Gluten Free
Crust:
1¾ c. shredded zucchini
1¼ c. cooked rice- white or brown
1 egg
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
Mix all ingredients together.
Filling:
8 slices cooked and crumbled bacon
1 c. shredded cheese – I like Swiss, but use what you like
1 tomato, seeded and diced
½ c. chopped sweet onion
Combine ingredients in small bowl. Set aside until ready to use.
Custard:
1 1/3 c. half and half
4 eggs
½ t. each basil, garlic powder, paprika and salt
1/8 t. pepper
Place in medium bowl and whisk together until smooth.
Grease 12 muffin cups. The mixture will fill 12 cups very full- but you can make your quiches a little smaller, if you like and make a few more. Pat 2 tablespoons of the crust mixture into each muffin cup. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Cool before filling. While baking and cooling crusts prepare filling of your choice and custard. Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling over each cooled crust. Spoon about 3-4 tablespoons of the custard over the filling. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Can be served warm or cold.
Other fillings:
Tomato, broccoli, mushroom:
In 1 T. butter, sauté 1¼ c. sliced mushrooms, ¾ c. chopped fresh broccoli and 1/3 c. diced onion. Cook until tender, cool. Stir in 1 C. shredded cheddar cheese and 1 tomato, seeded and diced.
Spinach and onion:
Combine 1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, cooked and drained well, with ½ c. diced onion and 1 c. shredded Swiss cheese and ½ c. diced sweet red pepper.
Zucchini Rice Casserole
1 c. water or broth
½ c. raw rice
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T. oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. small to medium zucchini, about 3-4, sliced
1 sweet pepper, seeded and diced
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 c. shredded cheese, any type you like
¼ c. freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Bring water or broth to a simmer and stir in rice. Cover and cook over low heat until rice is tender, about 20 minutes for white rice and 40 minutes for brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste, using less salt if cooking in broth. Meanwhile heat oil in a skillet and cook onion until wilted and tender. Add zucchini and pepper and cook until both are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Combine vegetable mixture with the rice and tomato sauce and pour into 1½ quart casserole. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake in a 350 degree oven until heated through and cheese is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serves 6.
Quick Corn and Zucchini Sauté
2 sweet peppers, seeded and cut into strips
2 medium zucchini, sliced
Oil
2 c. corn kernels cut from cobs, about 4 ears
1 t. garlic salt
½ t. Italian seasoning
In oil cook peppers and zucchini until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook 4 more minutes, or until heated through. Serves 6-8.
Fresh Summer Squash Relish
2 c. shredded summer squash, any type, peeled if desired
1 c. finely diced sweet onion
¼-½ c. bottled Italian dressing or other vinaigrette, I make my own
Combine all ingredients and chill until ready to use. Nice on cold and hot sandwiches and in tuna salad. Keeps in fridge for a couple of weeks.
Multi-Grain Zucchini Bread
1¼ c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 c. wheat germ
½ c. sunflower seeds or chopped nuts
1 T. baking powder
½ t. salt
¾ c. shredded zucchini
1/3 c. honey
¾ c. milk
1 egg
Grease a 9-inch cake pan and preheat oven to 375-degrees. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In medium bowl combine remaining ingredients and stir in flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 30 -35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. Cool in pan ten minutes then remove from pan and cool on a rack.
Spiced Beet and Tomato Soup
Spiced Beet and Tomato Soup
I had picked up some beautiful fresh beets at the market over the weekend. Since it’s was a little cool today, I thought I’d make soup with them. I took inspiration from what I had on hand including onions, potatoes and home canned tomatoes. Adding the tomatoes was a last minute decision that worked out really well. The tomatoes added just the right amount of tart/sweet flavor. The color was pretty, too.
I know beets aren’t everybody’s favorite, but I love them. I love how they taste. I love the color. I love how everything I cook with beets turns out the most gorgeous color.
I don’t, however, love the way my kitchen looks whenever I cook with beets. It’s like something out of a crime scene. Not blaming the beets. Just wondering how it is I can clean up everything, then walk in the kitchen the next day and find flecks of red all over?
Here is the soup recipe. It was a small bunch of beets, so I just made a small batch of soup, but it could easily be doubled.
Spiced Beet and Tomato Soup
1 bunch beets, about 1 lb.
oil
1 onion, chopped
1 t. cumin seeds
1 t. fennel seeds
3-4 c. stock- I used chicken
1 potato, cubed
1 pint canned tomatoes – or 2 c. diced tomatoes – or 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1t. dill
1/4 t. cayenne, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Wash beets and trim leaving about 1 inch of the stem attached. Reserve greens. Place beets in a saucepan of boiling water and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove beets and cool in cold water until you can handle them. While beets are cooling, cook onion in oil until tender. Add seeds and cook until they are toasted and onions are golden. Peel and cube the beets. Add to the onions along with the stock, potatoes and tomatoes and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Rinse and chop up about 1 cup of the beet greens and add them to the soup along with the seasonings. Cook until greens are tender, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve. Serves 3-4.
Chilled Beet and Watermelon Soup
Chilled Beet and Watermelon Soup
Rather than start dinner with a salad- why not try a cold soup instead? It’s been very hot around here lately, and a cold soup sounded good to me. This is a great first course for a hot day. Or, a perfect lunch.
I got this recipe from a friend of a friend. I tweaked it a little from the original, but it is pretty much the same. It is simple to make and full of flavor.
The sweetness of the watermelon, pairs nicely with the earthy flavor of the beets. The mint also adds a nice little pop of flavor. The color is pretty cool, too. I shared this recipe with a friend and she said she just drinks it like a smoothie. You can easily make bigger or smaller batches. Just start with equal amounts of watermelon and beets. Thin it down with a little stock, until it gets to the consistency you like. The soup will keep in the fridge for several days and freezes well.
You don’t have to serve it just at dinner or even just for lunch. I actually have eaten it for breakfast, too.
Chilled Beet and Watermelon Soup
2 cups diced beet (cooked)
2 cups diced seedless watermelon
a few sprigs of mint
Put in blender
Add Chicken or Vegetable stock to taste/consistency
Add salt if desired
Dollop with Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt, if desired.
Garnish with fresh mint.
With any cold soup- chill well after you make it. You might even want to chill the bowls and spoons.
Fresh Broccoli Soup
Fresh Broccoli Soup
I admit to loving broccoli. I could eat it every day. Still, I get a little tired of just steamed broccoli. When I want to change things up, I will often make a broccoli stir fry or a salad.
This time, I decided to make a broccoli soup. I kept it simple, just adding a few fresh herbs from the garden, in addition to the other ingredients. It tasted wonderful and made a great light dinner. The leftovers actually made a nice breakfast, too.
This is a nice soup for this time of year. It can be eaten hot, cold or somewhere in between.
I made sure not to cook the broccoli too long, so it stayed a nice, bright green color. As soon as it was tender, I took it off the heat and finished prepping it. I topped it with shrimp and a little hot sauce. You can add whatever toppers you prefer- or leave it plain.
Fresh Broccoli Soup
1 qt. stock- chicken or veggie
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
4-5 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 T. parsley
1 T. lovage leaves- or celery leaves
2 t. mint leaves
1 c. half and half- or a bit more
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooked shrimp, optional
Sriracha sauce, or any hot sauce you like
In soup pot, heat stock and add onions, cooking until onions are very tender, about 15 minutes. Some of the stock will cook off, concentrating the flavor. Add the broccoli and herbs and cover, simmering until broccoli is just tender, about 5-7 minutes. Puree mixture, adding enough half and half to get the thickness you like. Adjust seasonings. Soup can be served hot or cold. Ladle into bowls and top with shrimp, if you like, and a few drops of hot sauce. Serves 4.
Pumpkin Bisque
Pumpkin Bisque
What’s in a name? When I make this soup I actually almost never use pumpkin. Every Fall I stock up on Winter squashes like butternut, acorn, Hubbard and more. A few pumpkins, too. Eventually I cut them up and roast them. Once cooled they are pureed and frozen to use throughout the year. Pretty much any package I pull out of the freezer is as likely squash as pumpkin. I am not sure it really matters. I love butternut and Hubbard the most of the winter squashes, but in this soup any of the squash or pumpkins add a similar sweetness that works. The soup is easy to make and takes almost no time at all. Great for when you need something to warm you up – fast.
Pumpkin Bisque
2 T. butter
¼ c. chopped onion
½ t. ginger
1 T. flour
2 c. cooked pumpkin
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
Sauté butter, onion and ginger. Stir in flour. Add pumpkin and cook 5 minutes. Add broth and milk and stir often until heated through. Adjust seasonings. Serves 4-6.
Roasted Curry Cauliflower Soup
Roasted Curry Cauliflower Soup
This may be one of my favorite soups yet. Creamy and flavorful it was a big hit at dinner last night. This recipe was inspired by what I had on hand and a dinner planned with friends. It started with this enormous cauliflower I had picked up at a produce market. I knew I wanted to use it. I had thought of just roasting it and having it as a side. I also knew we needed a soup for dinner. Ended up roasting the cauliflower anyway but using it as part of the soup. Added other veggies for color as well as flavor. I also made sure to get it really smooth. I used an immersion blender but it could have been processed in a blender. We topped it with croutons, but it could be served without, if you prefer.
Roasted Curry Cauliflower Soup
3 onions, peeled and sliced
1 large cauliflower, cut into flowerets
3 T. oil
salt
6 c. stock- chicken or veggie- or more if needed
2 medium or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can ( 13.5 oz.) coconut milk
1 c. half and half- or more coconut milk, if you prefer
2 T. curry powder
2 t. turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degree. Place onions in and cauliflower in roasting pan and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle on some salt and place in oven. Roast until veggies are turning golden brown, stirring occasionally. This will take about 20-30 minutes. Place cauliflower mixture in a crock pot and add the stock and other vegetables and cook on high for at least 4 hours. Add remaining ingredients and puree soup until smooth. Adjust seasonings. You can add more stock if soup is too thick. Serve as is or top with croutons when serving. Serves 6-8.
Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup
Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup
When there are fresh tomatoes to be had I must admit to eating most of them on sandwiches or in salads. But this soup is also a favorite of mine. It is so tasty and quick to make, too. The recipe calls for 3 medium tomatoes but I will sometimes toss in an extra one. The color always comes out sort of orange and reminds me of butternut squash soup in appearance. The flavor, however, is pure tomato and really nice. I even make it when the weather warms up and just serve the soup cold. I have used milk, half and half and even almond milk on occasion and all of them still came out wonderful.
Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup
3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
pinch of cloves
1 small bay leaf
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 t. salt
3 c. milk
Peel and chop tomatoes. Place tomatoes in saucepan with onion, celery, cloves and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and cover, simmering 15 minutes. Melt butter in a large saucepan then stir in flour and salt. Cook mixture until bubbly. Add milk and cook until thickened stirring constantly. Remove bay leaf from tomato mixture. Puree tomato mixture through strainer, food mill or in a blender or processor. Add to milk mixture and heat through. Serves 3-4.
Beet and Tomato Soup
Beet and Tomato Soup
I had a bunch of fresh beets in my fridge and since it’s a little cool today I thought I’d make soup with them. I took inspiration from what I had on hand including onions, potatoes and tomatoes. Adding the tomatoes was a last minute decision and it worked out really well. The tomatoes added just the right amount of tartness/sweetness. I didn’t add the dollop of sour cream I would normally add. It would make a nice topper for the soup, though. Here is the recipe. It was a small bunch of beets so I just made a small batch of soup, but it could easily be doubled.
Beet and Tomato Soup
1 bunch beets, about 1 lb.
oil
1 onion, chopped
3-4 c. stock- I used chicken
1 potato, cubed
2-3 medium tomatoes, peeled and cubed
1 t. dill
salt and pepper to taste
Wash beets and trim leaving about 1 inch of the stem attached. Reserve greens. Place beets in a saucepan of boiling water and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove beets and cool in cold water until you can handle them. While beets are cooling, cook onion in oil until tender. Peel and cube the beets. Add to the onions along with the stock, potatoes and tomatoes and cook until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes. Rinse and chop up about 1 cup of the beet greens and add them to the soup along with the dill. Cook until greens are tender, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve. Serves 3-4.
Basque Soup
Basque Soup
We made this soup in class last night. This is a vegetarian soup that should satisfy most carnivores. It is made with butter beans, tomatoes, corn and onions. Add vegetable broth and some milk and you have a rich and filling bowl of soup in no time at all. You can also make this soup vegan- we did in class last night- by using almond milk in place of the dairy milk.
Basque Soup
1 c. chopped onions
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. flour
3 c. milk*
1 (14 oz.) can diced 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.
Pantry Vegetable Soup
Pantry Vegetable Soup
I’ve been using stuff up and not going to the grocery store for almost 3 months now. Sometimes it takes some creative thinking to put an interesting meal together. When in doubt I can always make a good pot of soup. Soup comes easy to me. I grew up with a Mom who really knew how to make great soup. Can’t make a pot of soup without remembering her. I wanted to make a vegetable soup today so I looked around to see what I had on hand and ended up with this. Started with the basics, onion, celery, carrots. Then I added home canned tomatoes and pinto beans. Threw in some dried zucchini and dried mushrooms, too. I had a little broccoli in the freezer so I tossed that in as well. Some basil from the freezer, dried herbs and some other seasonings and it was good to go. Here is the recipe but this is the sort of soup that can be adjusted according to what you have around.
Pantry Vegetable Soup
2 T. oil
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 c. chopped cabbage
3 cloves minced garlic
1 pint jar canned tomatoes- or a 14.5 oz. can
6 c. water
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained- I used a p[int jar of home canned beans
1/2 c. dried mushrooms
1/2 c. sliced dried zucchini
2 T. vegetable soup base – I use home made-
1 c. chopped broccoli
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste
dried and frozen herbs to taste- I used Tuscan seasoning and a frozen cube of basil with olive oil.
Heat oil in soup pot and add the onion, cooking until golden. Add remaining ingredients, except the herbs, and cook, covered, until veggies are tender and dried veggies are re-hydrated. This will take about 30 minutes. Add herbs and let simmer 10 minutes longer. Adjust seasonings and serve. Serves 4-6.
