Category Archives: La Zuppa

I feel like I’m getting a handle on what herbs and spices work together to make a delicious soup.  You can add almost any vegetable to round out the flavor.  It’s all about being  a “minestrone” which means, you can use what ever vegetables you have and amounts are flexible!

Here is what I’ve come up with for a milder seasoning.                                                         (I use more of the spicy stuff for chili):

2 teaspoons of Chile Lime Seasoning Blend (Trader Joe’s)

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon Umami Seasoning Blend (Trader Joe’s – Mushroom & Company)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground fennel

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 Bay leaf

I mix these up and add them in layers because I read somewhere that it helps the flavors blend.

For the actual soup:

First I sauté (in water or broth) a cup or so of onions along with stalk or two of celery (including some of the leafy part).

Once this cooks a bit, I add in about a cup of the broth and sprinkle in some of the spice mixture, then I add in a couple of carrots and a sweet pepper — sometimes red, sometimes green and sometimes a mix.

Next comes a 16 oz can of diced tomato –  I add a teaspoon or so of sugar to mellow this out — it’s still good without the sugar, though.

Then I add in some kidney beans (white and red) or any kind of beans I have on hand.

For variety, I sometimes include a cup or so of red lentils.

After I add in each item, I sprinkle a little more of the spice mix.

After adding in the beans, I pour in the rest of the broth.  I use about 16 ounces of

low-sodium vegetable broth and about a cup or so of water.  Then I add in the bay leaf.

After the soup simmers for about 20 minutes, I add in sliced zucchini and a cup of peas and a cup of corn — anything that needs less time to soften.

After another 30 minutes, it’s blended and ready to go.

Ingredient list for the soup:

1 16-oz box of vegetable broth

1 cup of water

1 cup diced onion

2 stalks celery

2 carrots

1 sweet pepper 

1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes

2  15-ounce cans of beans

1 cup corn

1 cup peas

1 cup red lentils

1 zucchini sliced (green or yellow – or both)

P.S.  One thing I like about retirement is that it’s so great to have TIME to cook.  It’s kind of therapeutic and fun — and being retired, means I can take my time and I like that!