It's Soup Time

My front porch thermometer says 37degrees this morning. My living room thermometer is at 60degrees. In other words, it's time for soup. I usually have a Sunday afternoon soup making session every so often, in which I make two kinds of soup, then freeze most of it for use over the next month. I go to the Y on Sunday morning, have a quick coffee with my friends, then I'm off to Sprouts to buy all the ingredients for soup. Most recently I made a vegetable bean soup for a holiday party. I thought it was overcooked, as I did it in the crockpot and the beans were so well cooked that they became a thickener for the soup. The soup was good and hearty, but a little too purreed for me. Here's another version of a vegetable bean soup, adapted from Martha Stewart, that I like better. It freezes well. Vegetable Bean Soup Ingredients 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 medium carrots, diced small 2 celery stalks, diced small 1 medium yellow onion, diced small 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon dried thyme Coarse salt and ground pepper 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (any beans will do) 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley Grated Parmesan, for serving Directions 1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper; cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, broth, and parsley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide soup among four bowls and add parmesean cheese if desired. For a thicker soup, take about 1/3 of the soup, puree in the blender, then mix back with the rest of the soup. Either way, it's a great lunch or dinner during the cold weather.