Vegan Mofo Kick-Off!

Today is DAY NUMERO UNO of VeganMofo! It also happened to be the first cool day of weather in the south since february! So I made the obvious choice-home-made soup!! How's that for comforting? It is our favorite soup recipe ever and beats the heck out of any store-bought kind. Also, it doesn't take long after you cook some beans (if using dry beans).

Home-Made Organic Vegan Soup!

(Simple to make and super fast depending on the ingredients you choose to use.)

Ingredients:

* Carrots

* Tomato of your choosing (I love to get baby tomatoes!)

*Lima Beans (I used frozen to save time but fresh is always a great option.)

*Green Beans (Frozen)

*Potatoes

*Corn (Frozen)

*Bell Pepper (Optional)

*Dry Beans. (We like to use all sorts of dry beans.)

*Vegetable (vegan) Bouillon Cubes. (We get the low-sodium style.)

*Tomato sauce (About a cup.) (I sometimes substitute for pizza or spaghetti sauce or even salsa!)

*Salt and pepper to taste.

*Any other spices you may like (Paprika, Chili powder, basil, vegetable spice..etc.)

*Noodles of your choice.

(All veggies are organic)

*Crackers if you like. (I use Back To Nature Organic Saltine Crackers)

To Make:

First put your beans on. Cook according to package directions. Usually I will boil them for a few minutes then put the fire on very low and cover the beans and let them sit for an hour. Then I put fresh water in and cook them until tender.

Concerning the amount of vegetables to use: I just add vegetables until I fill up my pot. I don't know the exact amount. If you need a guess, I would say about a half a cup to a whole cup of everything. Just throw in what you like, there's no right or wrong way to do this. ;)

*Once the beans are done, I keep most of the water (depending on how much soup I am making) and while they are on low heat, stir in 2-3 of the veggie cubes. (one cube per cup of water usually, but read your package directions).

*Boil some water in another pot and cut up your potatoes and carrots to whatever size you like and boil them. While they are boiling, add all of the other vegetables to the pot of beans. 

Heat to a boil then add the tomato sauce and other spices of your choosing. (I just use salt and pepper!)

Cover and reduce to medium-low heat. 

*When the carrots and potatoes are done boiling, strain them and place in soup pot. 

*While all of the veggies are simmering together, Now's the time to boil some pasta. When the pasta is nearly done, place in the soup pot. Turn off heat and let sit until....well, until you can't stand to wait any longer. Eat up!!! This tastes even better the next day. ;)

It takes about 15-20 minutes (other than cooking the beans) to make this and it tastes like it took all day long. If you try it, let me know what you used and if you liked it!

Thanks So much for reading and I'm overly excited to be a part of VeganMOFO this year!!

--Kyndal