Dirty Little Secret Soup | Fatfree Vegan Kitchen Recipe

Recipe courtesy of:
Fatfree Vegan Kitchen

Susan's Dirty Little Secret Soup

Some people eschew frozen vegetables, but they are often more nutritious than fresh ones that have been shipped from far away. They're usually flash-frozen at the farm, resulting in more nutrients being preserved; vegetables that are allowed to age before cooking lose some of their nutritional value.

5-6 cups vegetable broth (I use Imagine No-Chicken)
1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 16-ounce cans beans, rinsed and drained (I usually use 1 Great Northern and 1 Kidney Bean)
2 1-pound bags of frozen vegetables (my favorites are California Blend [cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots] and Italian Blend [zucchini, Italian green beans, broccoli, red pepper])
4 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
a shake or two of hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)
black pepper and salt to taste
OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup small pasta OR 2 cups diced potatoes OR 1 cup frozen corn or other starchy vegetable OR 1/2 cup of quick-cooking grain (pearled barley, millet, or quinoa) or cooked rice

Put 5 cups of vegetable broth and all remaining ingredients into a large pot and cook until vegetables are done, about 20-30 minutes. If the soup seems too thick, add more broth.
Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.

This can also be made with 2 pounds of whatever fresh vegetables you have in the house, as in the photo above which includes zucchini, cauliflower, and kale.

This makes at least 8 servings, and though the nutritional breakdown will vary depending on the ingredients you use, if you stick to vegetables-only (no pasta or packaged meat substitutes) I think it constitutes a Core recipe for Weight Watchers and if not a "free food," a very low-calorie one on most healthy eating plans.