Winter Veggie Soup for flu & cold season
I made a whole batch of this soup and ended up freezing most of it. The name of this recipe was formerly called “anti-cancer” soup because of the goodness of all the wholesome ingredients but I changed the name to anti-flu soup. In general, it’s just a great overall recipe that tastes really good. I just unfroze a container and added brown rice macaroni which made it a complete meal (especially for lunch).
Serves: 12-16 servings (almost feeds an army!)
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2-3 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 cups carrots, diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- salt and pepper, to preference
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or other dried herbs like basil, oregano, and parsley)
- 12 cups (or 3 32-ounce cartons) of chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes (look for BPA-free cans)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup lentils (any kind will work; rinse first)
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 cup mushrooms, diced
- 1 cup cauliflower, chopped finely
- 1 cup broccoli, chopped finely
- 2-3 cups spinach, chopped
- 1-2 cups frozen green peas
Instructions
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.
- Saute onion, carrots, celery, and garlic for about 3-4 minutes, until tender. Season lightly with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (to your preferred heat level), and Italian seasoning.
- Add chicken or vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, black beans, and lentils. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer (slight bubbling), stirring occasionally. Season again lightly with salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
- Add all other vegetables except frozen peas (zucchini, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach) and simmer another 5-10 minutes.
- Stir in frozen peas and turn off heat (or turn to low), so they don’t overcook. Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- If you like, serve with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese and/or whole grain crackers or crusty bread.
Notes
Freezer Meal Instructions:
To freeze:
Fully cook and cool the soup. (Do not leave soup out on counter more than 2 hours.) Divide soup into freezer bags or containers and freeze.
To thaw and reheat:
Thaw in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Then reheat gently over low heat on the stove or in a crockpot. Another option is to put the frozen soup block over low to medium-low heat on the stove top or in a crock pot. Add about 1-2 cups of water or broth over the top. Gently warm over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
Enjoy!
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
Loved your tasty recipe 🙂
Love reading your blog. inspirational and informative. Thanks for sharing Debbie.