cook with me! easy rustic veggie soup

Lately I've been experimenting with cooking lately and I gotta say, I'm really liking it! I'm typically the clumsy, anxious recipe-follower type. But I'm really starting to appreciate the creativity and spontaneity in making up recipes of my own. Plus the extra girlfriend-points don't hurt. I think I can cash in for a puppy soon! But I digress. I've been focusing on making low cost, high quality meals that are easy to make that taste delicious and provide hearty and healthy nutrition. I came upon this soup when I was craving something comforting and familiar but didn't feel like looking up some complicated recipe and furiously scouring Whole Foods for obscure ingredients. Ain't nobody got time for that! So, I just poked around my kitchen, grabbed a little bit of everything I liked and SHABBAM soup!

Rustic Veggie Soup

(serves 5-6)

Ingredients:

1 box of chicken broth

1 box Near East garlic & herb rice pilaf

1 can plain tomato sauce

1 large zucchini

1 medium sized yellow squash

2 small cans red kidney beans

1 can of sweet corn

1/2 bag of baby carrots, chopped 

2 tablespoons of finely chopped garlic (I use the kind already chopped in a jar)

marjoram to taste

celery salt to taste

2 bay leaves

Steps: 

1. Get started on the rice pilaf, since it takes about 25 minutes to make

2. Pour chicken broth, tomato sauce and bay leaves in large pot on high heat. 

3. While the mixture is heating up, chop up your zucchini, squash and carrots

4. Add veggies along with the rest of the ingredients to the pot and put on medium heat and let simmer for about 40 minutes to an hour. 

5. Add rice pilaf at the very end when you are about to serve & make sure to take out the bay leaves!

See how easy that was?? It tastes great and makes a pretty big batch. I like to freeze most of it for a lazy rainy fall day.  It tastes great with a grilled cheese, biscuits and whatever else you like to dunk into soup. It's a really versatile soup that tastes good with everything. 

Hope you enjoy!

And if you're boyfriend loves it.. go ahead & take that credit girl. GF points for everyone! 

If you make it, tweet me a pic or tell me what you think of it. Also I'm always looking for new recipes so feel free to share what your favorite concoctions are!

ttyl :)

madeleine