Lysdahl's Saturday Supper Soup

Here along the coast of the Pacific Ocean it is not your typical warm summer day.  Rather it has been cool with drizzle all day...and right now the temp is 56 (F).  So when thinking of what to make for dinner tonight, I did this recipe for a hearty and easy supper soup.

• 2 - 3 tablespoons extra lite olive oil
• one medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 - 2 cups of baby sliced carrots
• 3 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
• 3 medium red potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup miniature tomatoes, halved (I used the yellow for color)
• 12-oz of mixed frozen mixed vegetables (I used a mixture of cauliflower and broccoli)
• 1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and then coarsely chopped
• 1  28-oz can crushed Italian tomatoes with basil
• 3 cups unsalted beef stock (if you use salted, adjust your salt accordingly)
• 1/3 cup cry red wine
• 1 level tablespoon of sugar
• 2 heaping tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 16-oz package of your favorite Italian style meatballs (or you can make your own...and I have a great recipe but that is for another posting).  :-)
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic with parsley (Morton & Basset)
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• a dash of red pepper flakes
• a pinch of ground nutmeg
• Salt & pepper to taste

1. In a large soup pot (6 1/2 quart), saute the onions, carrots, celery and potato in the 2-3 tablespoons of lite olive oil over medium heat.  About 5 to 10 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
2. Add all of the rest of the ingredients.  Adjust seasoning to taste.
3. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for one hour.

Serve with garlic-cheese toast.  Garnish with additional grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy

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