MAMA'S VEGETABLE SOUP

by Sarah Villafranco, MD

When your kids are listing their favorite foods on earth, and "Mama's Vegetable Soup" comes up in the top three every single time - with things like ice cream and pizza - you know you've gotten something right. And when that something involves your children eagerly horking down vegetables, it is your motherly duty to share the recipe with all parents, even if it doesn't seem like haute cuisine. So here you go - the recipe my babies still love to this day, made with some very basic ingredients and massive amounts of LOVE.

Ingredients:

3T olive oil (I use garlic-infused olive oil)
2T butter or margarine
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
5 stalks of celery, chopped
6 small potatoes, unpeeled, chopped
1 cup shelled, frozen edamame
2-3 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon (see photo)
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
4-6 cups of boiling water
one parmesan rind
8 pieces of dino kale, ribbed and roughly chopped
1 package of firm tofu, chopped into 1 inch cubes
2-3 teaspooons white miso
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste (but wait until all ingredients are added - miso and bouillon are salty!)
massive amounts of love (as mentioned)

STEP 1:

Heat butter and olive oil over a low flame until melted. (Use only olive oil if you prefer a vegan recipe.) Add carrots, celery, and potatoes and stir to coat. Sautee for about 8 minutes, and add frozen edamame for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

STEP 2:

Once veggies are crisp-tender, stir in 2-3 teaspoons of the "Better than Bouillon" paste, trying to coat all veggies evenly. Heat for about a minute, and then add vegetable stock and boiling water. Turn heat to high, and bring to a boil.

STEP 3:

This is one of the magical steps, almost important as the love part. Slice a 2-3 inch piece of parmesan rind from a high-quality piece of cheese. (Keep this in mind when you finish a block of parm - we save our rinds in the fridge until it's time for Mama's Vegetable Soup.) Drop it in while the soup comes to a boil - you'll fish it out just before serving. If you're vegan, skip this step!

STEP 4:

After boiling, allow soup to simmer for at least 15 minutes, up to 30 if time allows. About 5 minutes before serving, stir in the chopped kale and tofu, being careful to stir gently so you don't mash up all the tofu chunks.

FINALLY:

Just before serving, turn off the heat and stir in the miso and lemon juice, making sure the miso gets fully dissolved and dispersed. Ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese if desired. (This will remind you to fish out the rind!) Obviously, a million substitutions are possible here - chickpeas, broccoli florets, sweet potatoes - whatever you have on hand. Sometimes I stir in frozen brown rice or quinoa, and it's a hearty meal. Also, it can go vegan in a snap - just remove the butter and cheese rind!