Autumn. We’re in the thick of it now. Fully immersed in comfort food season, as far as I’m concerned. This soup simply came out of a need to use up the last bit of kale that I harvested from this year’s garden.
Speaking of the garden, I am pleased to report it was a success. Some things grew better than others. Some things I planted too late or improperly and they’re struggling now that the nights are cold. I’ll be surprised if I get more than one spaghetti squash out of the plants this time around. But that’s okay. My kale and chard were the champions of the garden this year. The beets did well, though not many got planted. The purple carrots were beautiful too. (You can see what I cooked with some of them here.) I even got a few potatoes off my poorly planted hills. All in all, I’d say this first attempt went rather well. I’ve learned what I think grows well and what I think I’ll not bother with next year. I also realized how much ‘real estate’ certain plants take up and will plan accordingly for next year. And I am determined to figure out how to really grow tomatoes. Not just a few here or there but I want real tomatoes that are producing all summer long. One of my neighbors had tomato plants as tall as trees and I was very jealous. I asked what his trick was and he didn’t even know. He was shocked that they grew so well too. I think he’s playing this one close to the chest and not telling me his secrets.
Any other gardeners out there want to share your successes? I’d love any tips for my garden next year too. I gotta keep this gardening streak alive!
This soup includes a couple goodies from the garden – green beans and kale. Lots and lots of kale.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
- 4-6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 19 oz can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large bunch kale, stems removed, chopped finely
- ½ lb green beans, cut into 1" pieces
- ½ cup quinoa
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes, until the onion begins to soften a bit.
- Add canned tomatoes, vegetable stock, kidney beans, kale, green beans, and quinoa. Stir to combine.
- Add seasonings.
- Cover and reduce heat to minimum. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
I guess I didn’t take enough pictures of this one. Soup is really hard to make look good anyway.
This looks delicious and comforting! 🙂
It was … if I do say so myself. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it.
oh that looks lovely!! i love fall too:)
Do you add any water or stock to this recipe as well?
Do you add water or stock to this recipe as well?
Oh no! I missed the vegetable stock in the recipe. Sorry! 🙁 Yes, there’s 4-6 cups of stock, depending on how thick/runny you want the soup. Start with 4 then add more as needed. I updated the recipe to include it now. Thanks for the heads up.
This soup is a fantastic way of kicking off autumn to a great start. Looks delicious! I love the addition of quinoa too.
It’s very hearty and belly-warming! Hope you enjoy it. 🙂
I am newly vegan and all the recipes that you provide look absolutely fantastic! I can’t wait to try them!
Thanks Alex! I hope you enjoy making and eating them as much as I did creating them. 🙂
A definite keeper! I upped the garlic to 8 cloves. My husband who abhors soup had one bite of this and said it was amazing! Thanks GFV!
You’re welcome Merranda! I’m always a fan of upping the garlic. 😉
Loved this soup!