Recipes

My mom is kind of a hippie health nut. To this day, even though I am fully grown and living on my own, she is always asking me if I've eaten my vegetables. During the cold weather months, it pleases her to know that I make her vegetable soup on a regular basis. Because the soup is filled with all sorts of veggies, and beans for protein, she knows that I am getting a healthy meal. Her recipe uses chicken stock, but if you are making the soup for a vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth. —Katie Lee Joel, The Comfort Table

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 bay leaf

3 medium carrots, chopped

2 parsnips, peeled and chopped

1 medium turnip, peeled and chopped

1 pint fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes with juice, chopped

2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup frozen baby lima beans

1 (15-ounce) can great Northern or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and bay leaf and cook until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, turnip, and Brussels sprouts and continue cooking until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and the stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, simmer for 1 hour. Add the beans, salt, and pepper, and simmer for another 30 minutes.