Thanksgiving Day Vegetable Soup

We’re eating with my husband’s family today and being Italian they don’t make a traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner. Usually it’s an endless spread of appetizers, soup and then meat and potatoes. I decided since I was going to indulge in Italian meats, rich appetizers and desserts all day, I should make myself something healthy to eat for the days to follow. I grabbed all the veggies in my refrigerator this morning and put this soup together.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 small russet or yellow potatoes diced
2 large carrots diced
½ medium red onion diced (about ¾ cup)
3 stalks of celery diced (use one inner stalk (s) and leaves and two large exterior stalks)
3 cloves garlic minced
½ flat leaf parsley- rough chopped
2 cups of escarole sliced thin
Fresh ground pepper
1-1/2 teaspoon sea salt (add more for taste as needed)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Low Sodium chicken stock (free range/organic) 32 oz.
Grated Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven (Le Cruset 5-1/2 qt. round), add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of butter. On low heat melt butter, and then add potatoes. Stir so they are well coated and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add carrots, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add diced celery and diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. You want to get all these veggies roasting in the oil and butter. If they stick to the pot, that’s good, just scrape them away with a wooden spoon. All that roasted stuff on the bottom of the pan will add great flavor to the soup.

Add minced garlic and stir. Add ½ cup parsley rough chopped, and stir. Add 5 turns of fresh ground pepper, cumin and sea salt and stir. Add chicken stock and escarole. Stir and loosen and incorporate any of the browned coating from bottom of pan. Bring soup to a low boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

After letting soup simmer, give it a taste. Add more salt as needed. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

*Add additional water or broth if you want more liquid.
*This recipe adds very little salt to start. Adjust salt to taste or dietary requirements.
*Omit butter to reduce fat content.

Servings: 4-6

Tips: Save the ends of your Parmesan cheese. Add a rind to your soup before simmering. The cheese will melt and add a nice nutty flavor to the soup.

Stock- Trader Joes makes a low sodium, organic chicken stock