Quick Vegetable Soup

There are days when I crave a good tomato based soup and today's one of those days. Back in my college days, I would satisfy such a craving with canned Campbell's Tomato Soup but of course, those days are long gone and I'd like to think I've evolved into a more adept cook armed with better kitchen equipment beyond a cheap can opener and a microwave.

When the weather's cold and gloomy or when I'm feeling under the weather, this soup will lift my spirits and warm my soul. Today, however, the weather was neither gloomy nor was I feeling ill. I simply wanted a light lunch and this completely hit the spot. The best thing about this soup is that it can be made in about 20 minutes, tops, depending on how nifty you are with the vegetable chopping. The cooking process itself takes only about 10 minutes, just until the vegetables have softened. Ironically, I do open a can in this recipe but at least it's not one filled with a glob of wiggling, solidified condensed soup. ~ Veggie Girl

QUICK VEGETABLE SOUP

Makes about 2 quarts, about 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients:

1/2 head of cabbage, shredded

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 can (14.5 oz.) of Italian style diced tomatoes (you can also use regular diced tomatoes with the addition of a 1/2 tsp. of dried Italian herb mix)

6 cups of water

1 chicken bouillon cube

Pinch of dried pepper flakes (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the garlic and onion until fragrant. Next, add the can of diced tomatoes, bouillon cube and water and bring to a boil. Once the bouillon cube has dissolved, add the bell pepper, carrot and celery and simmer on medium heat for a few minutes, until they are almost softened. Lastly, add the cabbage and dried pepper flakes (if using) and continue simmering until all the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly before serving.