Okra Soup

Week two on my quest to have my lunches be soup made out of veggies from my www.greenling.com local box.  I looked at several recipes for okra soup and adjusted them to what I had on hand.

Okra Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 green bell peppers, diced

1-1.5 lbs okra, sliced

3 red potatoes, diced

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 14.5 oz can diced roasted tomatoes

3 cups cooked navy beans

6 cups vegetable broth

4 bay leaves

1 tsp dried oregano

3/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.

Add onions, garlic, and green bell peppers. Saute until soft and fragrant.  

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Simmer approx 30min.

Local Box Vegetable Soup

I've decided that over the winter, making a pot of vegetable soup to take to work for lunch during the week will be a great way to use many of the yummy fresh locally grown organic veggies that are delivered each week in my Greenling.com Local Box order. My plan is to concoct a soup from whatever I have left from the local box, after I plan my other meals. Here is my first go at it - it turned out quite well!  I like things spicy, so you may want to eliminate the Tabasco, or start with less and add to taste. I have been experimenting with different ways to make a nice broth without broth cubes, powers or pastes as I find many of them too salty for my taste. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the Bragg's worked, particularly with the mushrooms, it made a simple, clean, and flavorful broth for the veggies. I threw the carrots in because I happened to have a few that needed to get used up, the soup would be fine without them as well.

Local Box Vegetable Soup 10/12/08 (makes about 5 quarts)

* indicates from my local box

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Onions, chopped*

4 cloves Garlic, minced

8 oz Mushrooms, chopped*

2 sm Carrots, chopped

1 Yellow Summer Squash, chopped*

1 Zucchini, chopped*

3 Red Potatoes, chopped*

1 lb Green Beans, cut into 1" pieces*

1 28oz can Diced Tomatoes

2 28oz cans Water (use the can from the tomatoes)

2 Bay Leaves

1.5 Teaspoons dried Oregano

3/8 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos

8 shakes Tabasco Sauce

Black Pepper, to taste

In a large soup pot (at least 5 qts) heat oil over medium heat.

  

Saute Onions, Garlic and Mushrooms about 10m, until onions are translucent.

Add Carrots, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Potatoes, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Water, Bay Leaves and Oregano. 

Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook about 30 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through.

Add Bragg Liquid Aminos, Tabasco Sauce and Black Pepper. Cook another 5-10 minutes.

using substitute ingredients

One of my challenges in eating locally grown and produced food is getting used to substituting ingredients.  Tonight I made Oven Roasted Eggplant and Butternut Squash Curry and with a few substitutions was able to make it entirely from vegetables that came in my www.greenling.com Local Box order.  I used sweet potatoes in place of the butternut squash, and garlic chives in place of the green onions.  My box also included cherry tomatoes, eggplant, cilantro, and hot peppers. It turned out great, and it felt great to eat something made from fresh veggies from local area farms.