Loaded Vegetable Soup - Loaded is right!!

Let me just start out by saying that the original recipe makes WAY too much soup. Gary and I usually make half recipes anyway, and a half recipe of this couldn't even fit in our biggest pot! We probably should have checked the ingredients before starting...

We got to work right away and cut up ALL our veggies - even celery. We did omit the potatoes and extra tomatoes though, due to lack of space after we had started putting everything in the pot. We also never buy fresh herbs so Gary decided to wing it with dried spices. It didn't help that the serving sizes were all messed up so we'll definitely try to get the taste right next time.

Big pot of Loaded Vegetable Soup!

One serving out of ten; that's a lot of soup!

Here is our version of the recipe, followed by the link to the original recipe: 

Loaded Vegetable Soup

Ingredients: 

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 sticks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 head of broccoli, cut into small chunks
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 15-ounces can corn, drained
• 1 potato, scrubbed and diced with skin on (omitted from this recipe due to lack of space)
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, drizzle olive oil and warm on medium heat.
2. Start with the carrots and saute your vegetables.
3. I chop as I go, adding in one vegetable at a time until they are all sauteed while stirring.
4. After all the vegetables are added, slowly add the water, tomato paste, basil, black pepper and red pepper flakes. 
5. Stir, cover and turn heat to low-medium.
6. Let simmer on your stove top for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Turn off the heat.
8. Serve hot with fresh Mile High Biscuits!

Note: This recipe is definitely missing a little something. Maybe some vegetable broth or some added thyme and oregano. We'll update next time we try out this recipe. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave us a comment!

Original recipe found at: http://www.cozycountryliving.com/loaded-vegetable-soup/