Mexican-Style Veggie Soup

On: By: Leslie Cook

I had a lot of CSA veggies to process this week, including quite a few tomatoes that were overly soft, green beans, carrots, onions, Savoy cabbage and red cabbage. This was a wonderful and delicious way to use them all and more.

This soup is very forgiving. I didn’t have enough beans to prepare the original recipe, so I added in more Pozzole and cabbage instead. Use whatever you have that seems to fit with the profile.

Ingredients

  • Extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup
  • Red onion, 2-3 medium-large, finely diced
  • Garlic, 8 cloves, minced
  • Oregano, 1 TB
  • Salt, 1 TB
  • Carrots, 6-8 small-medium, sliced on the bias
  • Green beans, 16 oz., tipped and cut into 1″ pieces
  • Tomatoes, 8-10 medium, petite diced
  • Pozzole (whole hominy), 1 lb. dried
  • Water, 3-4 quarts, including hominy cooking water
  • Chipotle chiles, 2.5-3 TB, minced or blended
  • Avocado, Red Cabbage, Cilantro, Lime Slices (garnish)

Instructions

  1. Cook the Pozzole, and set aside in cooking water.
  2. Add the extra virgin olive oil to a large soup pot.
  3. Dice and add the onions and garlic, followed by the green beans, carrots, and petite diced tomatoes.
  4. Drain the pozzole, reserving the cooking water. Add pozzole to the pot, and measure the water, adding enough more to make 3-4 quarts depending on how veggie-filled you like it.
  5. Cook until all is blended and the beans are soft.
  6. Serve garnished with avocado, red cabbage, cilantro and lime slices.

You might like a little more salt — or a little less chipotle. This makes a slightly spicy soup.

Friends, participating in a CSA is a great way to be part of changing the nature of our food supply mechanism in this country, to impact the environment positively, and to enjoy some amazing, organic veggies. I want to write more about my experience later, but right now I’m busy enjoying myself!

If you’d like more information about the CSA, please visit Bob’s Fresh and Local (produce) and All Grass Farms (livestock, chickens, milk and cheese).

For more, visit my blog, vegetatingwithleslie.org, “Like” me on FaceBook/Vegetating with Leslie or follow me on Twitter, @vegwithleslie.

Ideas? Would like to hear from you!